Old Magic
by wwsadd
Summary: sequel to New Magic read first : Now that Chase is really gone, Rainy has to focus on saving Jake- and make a choice that will change her life forever. but what about her new friends, will she let them help her? Does she have a choice? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**yay!! sequel time!! if you haven't read New Magic, don't try reading this, it'll confuse you!! and as always, remember to review!!**

**yes, this story has Jake in it (i promise this time!)**

**disclaimer: i own nothing... promise.**

**_~wwsadd_**

Old Nightmares

_  
The shadows engulfed them both, and animalistic cries rented the air. It was hard to breathe, like the light took the air with it, and I was alone… utterly alone. I ran toward the shadow, toward my friends, trapped in its fatal depths, but it was like running headfirst into a brick wall, and I couldn't get through. _

_  
I listened as the two wolves gasping and howling their last breaths called to me. Needing help, needing me, and I couldn't do anything._

_  
Something, or someone, was hissing. "Why have you come here?" It seemed to ask, the sound was harsh and almost painful. I tried to turn, but everywhere was just more of the shadow._

"_I'm on a mission; I'd suggest you stay out of my way." I snapped. "What the hell are you anyway?" I asked._

_  
The hissing voice seemed to laugh maliciously. "Ancient magic, summoned to eradicate those that protect our enemies. And what are you? You should not even have to power of speech right now." It retorted, sounding slightly angered. I wasn't in any pain, just starting to feel suffocated by the swirling darkness._

"_I'm a tutore; my magic is as ancient as yours. And who are your enemies? The last time I checked, the Quileutes only had one enemy." I said cautiously. I slowly let in images, or tried to. All I got was the feeling of drowning in darkness, endless, cold darkness. It seemed to stretch back forever, through time and space, and forward into eternity. _

_  
It seemed to be pure evil. No body even held it; my guess was that none could. "The enemy of the ones with the power to summon me, are my enemy. That is the way of our world, young one. Your friends have angered the ancients- I am who they send to clean up the mess." It continued to hiss. I was beginning to feel like I was going to freeze to death, the darkness was so cold. I tried to summon the Power I had inadvertently stolen from Chase, wondering if it would have more of an effect on this monstrosity. _

_  
It cleared my head a bit, and lessened the bite of the dank chill, but did no more than that. "Well that's real noble of you and all, but what mess have they created? They saved their tribe over and over again; shouldn't you be rewarding them or something? Instead of killing them off, being cowardly by attacking them one by one and not giving them any sort of a chance to fight back? Some ancients you must have." I cried._

_  
A ripping snarling seemed to reverberate through the shadows. "Do not question the ancestors. They are the ones who decide the fate of our kind. They answer to none."_

I woke up screaming. Sarah shot up in her bed five feet away. I gasped a couple times, trying to regulate my heartbeat. "Sorry." I said, crawling out of my bed and hightailing it for the door.

Making it to the bathroom, I splashed cool water on my face, glaring at my reflection. I hadn't slept through the night since I had battled Chase. It had been over two weeks, and I was plain worn out. My brown eyes looked sad, even to me, and there were deep shadows under them. The most frustrating part was that I couldn't tell if the nightmares I had every night were premonitions, or just my subconscious voicing my deepest fears.

Something told me it wasn't just my overactive imagination.

Yanking my long messy hair back into a sloppy ponytail, I padded back down the hall, in my favorite old sweats and a worn old tank top. But instead of entering my own room, I tiptoed past it. Sarah needed sleep too, and it wasn't fair for me to keep her awake with my screaming.

I quietly wound my way down the various hallways, my arms wrapped around myself. Stopping at a large wooden door, I hesitantly knocked, immediately feeling like a bad person. Quickly regretting it, I hoped I hadn't woken him and stepped back from the door, only to have it swing open swiftly.

"Rainy? Are you okay? It's three forty in the morning." Tyler said, pulling on a shirt and rubbing his eyes, instantly waking up the rest of the way.

"I… Sorry. I've been keeping Sarah awake the last two and a half weeks, and she needs some real sleep. I shouldn't have bothered you." I stuttered, looking down at my feet. Tyler automatically grabbed my hand and pulled me into his room, shutting the door behind me.

Leading me to the edge of his unmade bed, he sat down next to me, slinging an arm comfortingly over my shoulders. "What are they about?" I looked at him confusedly. "Your nightmares. That's why you're keeping Sarah up- she says you scream in your sleep." He said, his earnest eyes full of concern.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see Seth and Jake, dying while I'm sitting here at boarding school, pretending that I don't have any bigger concerns than the grade that 0'Connell is going to give me on my Advanced Literature essay. I don't even know what is real right now- and it's so scary Ty." I finished, my voice a whisper.

Tyler rubbed my shoulder soothingly. "First of all, O'Connell thinks you're some sort of undercover novelist or something, he won't give you less than a ninety-five on anything you write, even if all you do is draw stick figures all over a blank sheet of notebook paper." He joked.

"And second, we agreed that there is nothing any of us can do right now, so you need to relax- you're going to make yourself sick. We'll figure out what's going on with Jake, we'll find Seth, and we'll all live happily ever after." He said with a grin.

I tried to smile, but it must have come out wrong. "And third." He said sternly, glaring at me playfully. "Your friends are real, your family is real, and your completely whipped jerk of a boyfriend is real. Your bravery and stubbornness are very real, just like your loyalty. Everything else is just a bunch of Hocus Pocus, and we have to laugh it off, it's the only way we'll make it through being _us_." He said wisely.

"Damn, for it being three thirty in the morning, that was deep." I teased. "You know, you may be the youngest, but I'd venture a bet that you're the smartest Son of Ipswich." I said sleepily, stifling a yawn. Now that I had some good perspective back, all I wanted to do was sleep.

He laughed, ruffling my hair. "Hey, I'm not the youngest, you are." He argued, and I smiled. No longer fighting the losing battle with my eyelids, I curled up on his bed.

"I'm hijacking your bed; it's too far to go back to mine." I mumbled, not waiting for an answer before I drifted into a blissfully dreamless slumber.

The next morning was hellish, even sitting next to Sarah in Calculus. "Where the hell did you go last night?" She hissed under her breath.

"Tyler's room. I didn't want to continue to wake you up all night, and usually Ty comes up with some ingenious reason why I should stop freaking out so much… so I went to pester him and I just fell asleep in there." I said under my breath.

She pretended to take down notes. "Do you think you should maybe take some sleeping pills or something? If you don't start sleeping soon you're going to land yourself in the hospital."

"What would be the point?" I asked angrily. "It'd burn through my system so fast that it wouldn't help. And even if it did, all it would do is trap me in my nightmares, at least right now I can wake myself up." I said decisively.

Her eyes widened. "You want to wake up screaming? I'm about to start sleeping at Caleb's Ness, you haven't slept for more than three hours at a time in almost three weeks. What are your nightmares about?" She asked hesitantly. She hadn't straight out asked me that yet, I thought she might be afraid of the answer.

"I need answers, Sarah, and I need them soon." I said quietly dodging her question, while diligently writing down everything that was scrawled on the large whiteboard.

"Have you told Reid? Or Tyler? Or anyone?" She asked, picking her pencil back up and beginning to doodle on the edge of her notes.

"Not yet. It didn't come up last night. And I haven't seen Reid in four days. I've heard from him once in that whole time." I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. "I figured we'd meet tonight, it is a Thursday after all. And I'll tell them then. Not that there's much they're going to be able to do."I said shortly.

"You know they have midterms this week. It's Harvard; even Reid has to study if he doesn't want to get kicked out before he's been there an entire semester." She whispered. "Caleb has been around even less than that. He's more focused than _your_ boyfriend is. Look whose got the whipped Son now." She said pointedly. I stuck my tongue out at her, and we both dropped the subject.

When we arrived at the Danvers' Mansion that night, I surprised myself by actually being nervous. "Honey, I'm home!"Sarah called animatedly.

I trailed behind her, dropping my bag on the counter and sliding down to lean against the dark wood. Sarah had flopped down in Caleb's lap, next to Pogue and Kate. Tyler was sitting up on the counter, and Reid was in the insanely comfortable armchair, looking like he had a migraine.

I pulled my knees up and leaned my chin on them. "You look tired." Pogue noted, taking the ornate pillow that was on the floor and chucking it at me. I flashed out and grabbed it, rolling over onto my stomach and laying my head on it.

"Well that's what happens when a person doesn't sleep." Sarah muttered. I glared at her and stuck my tongue out. "What? No offense, but it's pretty obvious that you're completely sleep deprived." She said. "You really need some drugs or something."

I laughed harshly. "Considering how quickly alcohol burns through my system, I'd have to take an entire bottle every night. I might call Carlisle tomorrow and ask him for a prescription though." I sighed, letting my head fall back down to the pillow.

"Maybe you should sleep during the day instead." Kate suggested.

"I'm skipping Lit tomorrow then, apparently I could hand in a paper with random doodles all over it, and I'll still get an A." I sighed. "Right?" I asked, opening one eye and looking pointedly at Tyler.

"New rule, I'm not responsible for anything I say after two in the morning." He said.

"Awe. But that whole thing about Hocus Pocus was so touching! So that was all bullshit?" I demanded, sitting up and throwing the pillow at him.

"No, that was true…mostly. And by the way, you talk in your sleep. A lot." He said, tossing it back to me.

"Damn it." I cursed, more to myself than to anyone else. "You, keep your mouth _shut_."I said, raising the volume of my voice. I threw the pillow at him, hitting him in the face.

"And I only do that when I'm really tired." I defended, pulling myself up and clambering around the coffee table and letting myself fall into Reid's lap. His arms automatically pulled me closer, and I knew he was about to ask me what Sarah was talking about.

"Well then maybe you should not pass out in _my_ room at four in the morning." Tyler shot back, flinging the pillow back at me, but aiming too wide and hitting Reid in the face.

"Why were you in his room at four in the morning?" Reid asked, throwing the piece of decorative fabric behind the big plasma screen TV. I pouted.

"Because she was trying not to keep me awake all night. Thanks for that by the way- maybe you should switch rooms." She teased.

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion.

I shrugged. "I have nightmares; I tend to wake up screaming." I said, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

Reid stiffened, entirely alert now. "I didn't know that." He said.

"It's not a big deal, you've been busy." I said, trying not to sound like I was accusing him of anything. I buried my face in his chest inhaling his somehow spicy scent, and winding my arms around him.

"So…what are you doing this weekend?" Kate asked, obviously wanting to ease some of the tension.

"I'm thinking about going home. To Seattle. I put it off for two months, but I've gotta go sort out some things, see my parents, try to get a hold of Leah…Seth's sister." I added quietly, when I got confused looks.

Reid's arms were tight around me; I could feel the disapproval radiating from him. But it was Caleb who spoke, of course. He was the rightful decision maker, and order giver when he felt the need to be. "Okay, but not alone."

"It's my _family_." I said incredulously. "It's the safest place in the world for me to be. And it wouldn't be for you guys. The wolves are not very inviting to the living proof of other archaic legends, or do you not remember Seth's reaction to you?" I snapped.

"Obviously it's no longer very safe. This fight, the one Jake is in, is not just _your_ fight, we're a team, remember?" He asked.

"Look, I'm not negotiating on this, I need to go do some serious research, and I need to figure out where the hell Leah and Seth are. That's all. And then I'll be back." I grumbled.

"I'm not compromising either; you need to start trusting us." Caleb said brutally. I flinched, it wasn't that I didn't trust them, and that wasn't fair of him to say. I just glared, refusing to say another word. It seemed that everyone could see were were having some sort of battle of the wills, and no one spoke for nearly five minutes.

"I'm headed out; I have a lot more studying to do before tomorrow." Reid said shortly, pushing me off his lap, standing up, and stretching. I could tell he was angry, and I wasn't sure what it was about.

"I'm out too, I need to pack and write that essay. Peace." I said, and followed Reid out.

He was about to get in his car when I grabbed his hand. "What is your deal?" I asked, all the sleepless nights finally causing me to snap.

"Get in." He said, looking pointedly at the passenger side before sliding in and shutting his door, effortlessly breaking my grip. I raced around the front edge of the car and slipped in on the passenger side, just as the engine roared to life.

"Should I be worried?" He asked sharply, winding down the dark, slick highway, going nearly as fast as I would, and without the heightened vision.

I was confused. "That we're going to crash? Possibly." I said. Instead of slowing down, he pressed on the gas harder. "Reid, slow down. And tell me what is wrong."

The car didn't slow, but he did throw a quick glance at me, and the expression on his face broke my heart. "About you. I know I've been busy, but I should have realized that you weren't as okay as you kept saying you were."

I shook my head vehemently. "No, it's not a big deal Reid, I mean, after everything that has happened, nightmares pretty much just come with the territory. Ty talked me out of it, I'm sure I'll be better now."

"I don't know what's going on with you, but _Tyler_ does." He spit.

I felt my mouth fall open. "What are you trying to say?" I asked forcefully. "I'm sorry that I didn't want to add more stress to your life when you're already so busy- by bothering you with things you can't fix. I didn't want to do that to you- Tyler and I are friends, very good friends, but just friends. I thought we'd already been through this." I said, raising my voice, jumping to the conclusion that he thought I would screw around with his best friend behind his back.

The classic car spun out around a sharp corner, narrowly missing falling clear off the street. "That isn't what I meant Rainy. I trust you, and I trust him. All I meant was that maybe he's better for you than I am. I told you from the start that you deserved better than me." He said, the harsh note of pain evident in his voice. "Tyler has always been the better man, obviously he…"

I was completely derailed. Tyler had filled in for my missing best friend since I had first come to this new place. He was the one that I trusted to keep things in perspective, no matter what. He made me feel like my life could be normal, or if he couldn't, that normal was overrated. But the idea of the two of us together was just _wrong_. I couldn't imagine wanting anyone but the arrogant, stubborn, amazing guy in the seat next to me.

"Pull over." I finally managed to choke out. Something in my voice must have convinced him, because the car screeched to a halt on the dark rocky shoulder, mere feet from the dark looming forest. I crawled shakily over to him, situating myself so I was facing him, one leg on each side of him.

The car was off, and I shivered in the frigid November air. The black long-sleeved t-shirt I was wearing was more fashionable than practical. I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck and letting my fingers curl through his hair. "Answer me one question. In five words or less, tell me what you think I deserve, because I think you're confused." I said, catching his icy eyes and holding his gaze.

It took him a moment to answer. His hands were lightly on my waist, and he absentmindedly softly traced the small tattoo on my hip, a habit he had gotten into that drove me completely crazy. It was hard for me to stay focused, but I wasn't letting him off the hook this time.

"You deserve someone that will be as perfect as you." He said quietly. I snorted, using my arms as leverage to pull myself closer to him.

"You overestimate perfect, Reid. Perfect is boring, and safe, and tedious…try again."I said.

He sighed. "You deserve someone that won't continually screw up." He said, his voice hard, averting his eyes, as hard as I was trying to hold his gaze.

I laughed lightly. "You're under the impression that I want a fairytale…again. How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want perfect, I don't want safe. If you don't take risks, your life will never be worth living. I thought you used to believe that." I said, knowing I wasn't going to be able to sit still much longer if his fingers didn't stop outlining the star on my hip.

"I did. I usually still do." He finally said, looking back at me. "I just don't want to hurt you." He added, and I couldn't help it anymore.

I pulled my face up to his, crashing our lips together. The electricity ran through my veins, my mind disengaged but my senses went into overdrive. I hadn't realized how much four days apart could affect us, but I wasn't complaining when one of his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me so close to him that I could barely breathe. When his other hand started to inch up under my shirt, I didn't hesitate; I shifted and ran my hands roughly down his swimmer's abs. His fingers were tracing patterns on my bare ribs, and I gasped, feeling like I was about to drown.

We never went further than this, despite Reid's reputation, and the way he'd been in the past, he never pushed me further than I wanted to go, and most of the time he was the one that stopped us- personally I thought it must be because he didn't want to screw this up by throwing something as complicated as sex into the equation.

The sound brought us both back to our senses, and Reid chuckled lightly. "Sorry." He said, dropping his hands back to my hips, breathing as raggedly as I was.

I giggled. "Do you feel the _electricity_?"I asked, still out of breath. "You really want to tell me that this is wrong? You don't want to hurt me, so stop trying to convince yourself we shouldn't be together." I said, lightly kissing his cheek.

"Momentary lapse in judgment." He said, smirking. "It's just been a hellishly long week, I missed you." One of his rare genuine smiles flashed across his face.

"So you told me to dump you for your best friend? You are such an idiot." I said with a grin.

He pouted at me, "That's why you love me though…right?" He asked.

I leaned in to whisper the words in his ear, the shudder that passed through his body caused me to shiver too. "That's why I love you." I agreed.

* * *

**what'd everyone think?**

**next chapter's preview:**

_"How do you suddenly know so much that I've spent the last five years trying to keep a secret?" He asked, frustration finally coloring his tone._


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, chapter two! I actually really don't like this chapter, but it had to be done :(**

**review even if you don't like it, because the next chapter is _the_ chapter :)**

**disclaimer in chapter two!!**

**_~wwsadd_**

Old Evils

It was finally Friday, but that wasn't so comforting, I still hadn't been sleeping, and Caleb was still being stubborn. Skipping Lit, I crawled back into bed and focused on sleep, trying to keep Jake and Seth completely out of my thoughts…

_  
Sam Uley was telling his wife goodbye. She held their crying one year old son in her arms. "Don't do this Sam." She pleaded._

_  
"I don't have a choice Emily. This is going to happen, today, tomorrow, ten years from now… it's going to happen, and I need to protect the pack, it's my duty. I can't _not_ do this." He said, pulling the sweet little boy into his arms and hugging him tightly._

_  
"And you aren't going to explain… anything? What happens tomorrow Sam? When you don't come back and Jacob is forced to take over? You haven't told them anything, you haven't told _anyone_ anything. How are they supposed to fight it when you're gone?" She asked, her voice breaking twice._

_  
He shook his head sadly, staring at the ground. "I don't know Em, I don't have the answers anymore. I have to do my best for the tribe, for the pack…" He trailed off. "For Jacy." He added quietly, cradling his young son. _

"_The future of our people is in danger, and it'll start with us, this… thing, will take out the pack and all our bloodlines first. Then it will completely destroy the entire tribe. I can't let that happen." He said, suddenly resolute._

"_Why?" She asked desperately. "What have we done to deserve _this_?"_

_  
Sam's entire demeanor changed. He suddenly looked violently angry. "We have gone against what we are. We have failed at our purpose. By allowing our people to be continually in danger from the bloodsuckers that have overrun us, we have fallen short. Our ancestors were given this magic thousands of years ago, and now it is being taken away. _

"_This is our punishment. And I have no idea how to tell you how sorry I am." He whispered, kissing her scarred face lightly, and casting one last tortured look at his son before passing him back to his wife, who now had silent tears flowing down her cheeks._

_  
He took off for the dark forest, exploding into a gigantic wolf midstride, and sending a tormented howl through the night sky._

I woke up with a gasp, my head spinning. I tried to sit up, but I was so dizzy that I felt like I was about to pass out. Looking around slowly, I realized that I was alone, though the clock on the nightstand showed that Sarah should be back from class by now.

Shakily, I reached for my cell phone, and hit the speed dial. It went straight to voicemail, as expected, and I quickly left a message. "Seth, I _know_." I said and hung up.

I stumbled out of bed, and over to my closet, pulling on an old pair of jeans and a heavy dark blue long sleeved shirt over my black tank top.

Sarah walked in as I was running a brush unsteadily through my hair, and yanking it back up messily.

"What'd I miss?" She asked, dumping her things on her bed. I shook my head, signaling that I wasn't going to be answering her question. Instead, I yanked open the drawer on the right side of my desk, and pulled out a good amount of cash, my passport, and my cell phone charger.

Throwing them all in the canvas bag on my bed, I turned toward her. "I'll meet you guys at Nicky's later." I said slowly, jumping at my phone as the familiar ringtone finally went off.

"Seth?" I asked quickly. I heard a long sigh.

"Not quite." A voice I hadn't heard in months said exasperatedly. My knees practically went weak, and I slid to the floor, leaning against my bed, and clutching the phone like it was going to disappear.

"Jake?" I managed to choke out.

"Hey kiddo." He said, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or to cry. So I did both. "Whoa, slow down there Nessie, Seth said you were getting yourself into trouble, but he wouldn't tell me what kind of trouble, even though I threatened him to within an inch of his life." He said with a forced laugh. "Are you alright?"

I was suddenly angry, on top of the relief and happiness. "Am _I_ alright? _You're_ the one who's decided to go postal and chase some super –ancient power thing that wants to kill you for being my friend." I snapped. I didn't give him a chance to reply. "The stupid trouble I got into wasn't nearly that bad. Tell Seth it turned out just the way I said it would, and he should stop being such a big baby about it."

I heard a slight yelp in the background. "Nessie! You said you…"

I laughed. "And I'm a pretty damn good liar." I said, with a little bit of vindictiveness.

"What did you do?" Jake asked flatly. I was still soaring with relief; I was nearly shaking with it.

"You don't want to know." I said smoothly. "And besides, this isn't about me. I took care of my problem; it didn't want to kill me anyways, so I'm not quite as stupid as you." I complained, feeling like a ten year old again.

"How did you find out? No one knows about this- not even the rest of the pack." Jake said, and I could hear a different note in his voice, one that I'd never heard there before- I could only classify it as defeat, and it sent a thrill of terror through me.

"I _saw_it. I saw Sam Uley talking to Emily the night he died, explaining not… _what_ it was, but what it was going to do and why. I can't _believe_ this is because of my family." I said, my mood swinging back to anger.

I heard Jake hiss. "This is not your fault Renesmee; I don't want to ever hear you say that. Is that clear? This is…" He trailed off, as though not knowing what to say.

I laughed, without humor. "Right, you're usually a better liar. I don't know why you bother though, I can tell when you aren't telling the truth, and now is definitely one of those times." I said, my voice a mixture of the relief I felt and the anxiety that was threatening to overwhelm me.

"No. It isn't a lie. This is not _you_. Sam and I made our decisions, knowing full well who we answered too. This is in no way because of you, do you hear me? It's going to be okay Nessie, don't worry." He said. I could hear how much he wanted the words to be true, I could also hear that he knew they were not.

I snorted. "Don't _worry_? 'You're the reason I'm going to die, but _don't worry_?' You've got to be kidding me!" I said, slamming my fist down on the dark wood floor. Sarah was watching me intently from her bed. She looked like she might not be breathing.

"Calm down, it isn't that bad. I just have to prove to our Elders that Sam and I never put the pack in danger, and then they'll back off." He said, and there was a false note of hope in his voice.

"No one questions the ancestors. _They answer to no one_." I said darkly, quoting the nightmare that I now _knew_ was real.

"How do you suddenly know so much that I've spent the last five years trying to keep a secret?" He asked, frustration finally coloring his tone.

I snickered, though I didn't find anything funny. "I'm cool that way. I just gained a lot of power in the last few months… now when I fall asleep and let my guard down, I can see things, things that are happening to the people closest to me. Things that might happen- things that have happened in the past. All because of stupid Chase Collins." I muttered.

"Who is that, and am I going to have to tear his head off?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Nope. Been there, done that. Well… not exactly, but close enough. Anyways, back to you. Where are you? Leah's coming after you, just a heads up. Oh, and everyone back home is in panic-attack mode." I said matter of factly.

He groaned. "I'm not telling you where I am. And Leah can run around in circles for all I care." He shot back.

"Aw come on Jake! Don't tell me you don't need the help, obviously you _do_. Lots of help- but _that's_ a different story." I said.

He apparently didn't find my remark funny. "Not a chance in hell Nessie. Be good for once in your life and just do as I ask." He said. His remark stung- I had always done as he asked.

"You're one to talk." I snapped. "And for the record, you're really being stupid. Ever think that maybe there was a way around this whole mess?" I asked exasperatedly.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He challenged. I stood, flung my bag over my shoulder, and headed for the door.

Tyler nearly ran into me. "We're going to be late you guys!" He said. "And you can't wear that." He added, looking at my plain black and blue layers and faded jeans.

"I'll meet you there." I said shortly, slamming the door shut behind me. I made my way to my car quickly, fuming. "I can help you Jake, but _only_ if you'll let me." I growled.

"Well that's settled then, because you're not helping me. What do you think putting yourself in danger is going to achieve? That's not helpful to _me_Ness. And where are you going?" He asked suspiciously.

I sighed. "Nicky's, it's a bar where my friends hang out. You know, alcohol, gambling, dancing. The usual bad things kids do on a Friday night." I retorted. "That peer pressure, it's a killer."

There was a moment of dangerous silence. "That isn't funny."

I pretended to laugh. "It wasn't a joke. You know, I could be down helping you and Seth instead, but you said to stay here so I might as well…" I trailed off.

"You've got to be kidding." I heard him mutter. I laughed for real this time. "I'll send Seth to come get you- it'll take him a day or so to get there though. You're impossible." He said.

I grinned. "I know. But that's what makes me special. Bye Jake! Missed you!' I said, starting the engine of my Porsche and taking off. I threw the phone in the cup holder and took the long way around town to get to Nicky's.

When I got there, I pulled off my blue shirt and tugged on an off the shoulder see-through white one over the black, and let my hair down. I jumped out just as Ty's Hummer was pulling up. Sarah rushed over to me, and Tyler had an extremely apprehensive look on his face.

"Later." I said shortly, as she opened her mouth to ask her question. I practically marched into the bar, dreading this with every fiber of my being. What _could_ I say to them? So much had changed in a mere 24 hours.

Kate took one look at my face and stopped mid-sentence. "What's going on?" She asked.

I shrugged, staying far back from the table. "I just got a phone call from... an old friend. I'm leaving for South America tomorrow." I spit out, knowing that was probably the worst possible way to address it, but not having the courage to do it any other way.

I couldn't look any of them in the face; it was even harder than I thought it would be. "_No_." Caleb said flatly. I laughed once, he had sounded almost _exactly_ like Jake.

"It wasn't a question. Seth is coming to get me. I know what's after them- and it's only after them because of me and my family. So I'm going solo on this one, sorry guys." I said, glaring at the dance floor instead of facing them.

"That's a total cop-out Rainy." Caleb snapped. I shrugged.

"No. That's the truth. Plain and simple- so if you'll excuse me…" I trailed off, not taking a single look at whatever expressions were on their faces. Outrage, fear, or bewilderedness- I didn't want to see any of it. I was letting them down, and I knew it.

I didn't breathe until I was out of the crowded bar, sidestepping Aaron and his posse near the door. I swiftly made it to my car, and was about to really break down, my hand on the door, when I felt someone grab my arm and spin me around.

It didn't shock me at all that it was Tyler, out of all of them he was the only one who's head I wouldn't tear off for confronting me when I was like this. I was shocked at the look on his face though. He looked angrier than I had ever seen him. And not just mad, but completely betrayed.

"We weren't done discussing this, _Renesmee_." He said roughly, his hand not loosening its tight hold on my wrist. He had _never_ called me that before. I flinched. Finally I faced him straight on, and looked him directly in the eyes- the ones that knew me so well.

"There isn't anything to discuss, _Tyler_."I said adamantly. "This isn't a game- this is my life we're '_discussing'_ and arguing over and pushing around. I'm sorry- you have no idea how sorry- but I won't let someone else control my life, no matter how much I love them. I have to take control of myself, and make my own decisions. So no, Tyler, I'm done here." I said, yanking my wrist free and sliding into my car.

I threw it into reverse, barely able to see through the tears that poured relentlessly down my face. My head hurt, my wrist where I had yanked out of Ty's grasp hurt, but nothing hurt as much as the breaking of my heart. I literally felt like I was being torn in two- but not even in two- I had felt that before. I was being torn in three different directions, my charm bracelet swung on my arm, as I spun the wheel to spin around a tight corner.

The small red wooden wolf was urging me on, telling me I was right. The diamond heart was tugging at me, whispering in my ear- pushing me to run home, into the safety of my parents' arms, crying to them and letting them fix all my problems like they always had. And the white gold and silver sun was mocking me, showing me all the evidence that I was running away from the best thing I had ever had.

I drove, too fast, through the wet dark night, the tears never ceasing, or even letting up. My phone started going off, and I didn't even look at the caller I.D. It could be Aro Volturi for all I cared. I switched it off without looking at the screen, and continued speeding down the street.

The gas gauge was beeping at me, five and a half hours later- I had just passed a sign for Charleston, South Carolina. I had never driven that fast before in my life, not even racing home after sending Seth after Jake. I needed to get as far away from Spencer and everyone that reminded me of it, as quickly as I could. I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep myself convinced that this was right for very long. The only thing I was able to focus on was that whatever this was would at least leave them alone if it knew they hated me.

Finally I pulled over at a gas station, and turned my phone back on. The sun would be coming up any minute, and I crawled up on the hood of my car after I replaced the gas cap. I leaned back against the windshield, the eerie silence of the pre-dawn seemed deafening in the deserted place.

'4 new voicemails' was flashing on the screen of my beloved Sidekick. I groaned.

"Hey, you've reached Rainy, I'm not here right now, or maybe I just don't want to talk to you! Leave a message after the beep… or don't it's really up to you!" I heard my own voice chirp. I remembered the afternoon in Reid's room, when I had jokingly changed it, using his nickname for me.

The first message was from Sarah. "I can't believe you. How could you do that to us? To Tyler, to _Reid_? Do you have any idea what you're putting them through right now? For claiming to have such a great family, you obviously don't know how to be part of one." She finished, the anger more than apparent in her voice.

I cringed. She was so very right. But it wasn't going to change my mind. The next was from Kate. "Hey girl, I don't really know what the big damn deal is this time, but seriously, cut the loner act and get your butt back here before everyone goes berserk." I kind of wanted to giggle, Kate didn't mess around, and that was why she was one of my favorite people in the world.

The next was from Caleb, and it was very apparent before he even began speaking that he was _pissed_. "You made promises Rainy. Remember that? If you aren't at the colony house by seven am, I'm calling your parents." There was no trace of a joke or a lie in what he said, and I let my head fall roughly back against the glass of the windshield. That was just _perfect_.

The last one was the one that very nearly made me lose my resolve. It was the only voice I wanted to hear, and it was the only one that didn't sound outraged. No, not anger, but worry, disappointment, and downright distress colored his voice. "Hey baby, whatever you're doing, please _please_ just be safe. Call me when you can, I love you." _Click_. I officially had the best boyfriend in the world, and I was treating him like dirt. I hated myself in that moment- more than I had ever hated anyone in my life.

* * *

**i know i know *_tear_***

**but it was necessary... **

**anyways, review please!!**

**(extra long!) preview for next chapter:**

_"I'm sorry you what??" Jake asked, glaring daggers at Seth._

_He shrugged, plopping down on the other side of me. "You're the one that went AWOL man." He said._

_... ... ... ..._

_His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his scruffy uneven dark hair. "Really now. Well- sounds like you've had a lot of_ human _fun while at boarding school." He said pointedly. I giggled again, not able to help it. "Blondie's ass is so mine."_


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the chapter some people have beenwaiting an entire story (and then some) for, so i'm just gonna shut up and let you read!**

**disclaimer in chapter one!**

**~_wwsadd_**

Old Hurts

I called Seth and had him meet me in South Carolina instead. He didn't ask questions, even when he arrived. My face must have been really bad. I felt weaker than I had since battling Chase. I just wanted this to be over, so I could just have one god-given normal day- I would trade my life for that at this point. That amazing month with my friends seemed like centuries ago, another lifetime even.

There was complete silence on the ride to the airport, and more silence on the international flight to Columbia. I felt sick to my stomach; there was no way I was keeping anything down. My cell phone was permanently off… my parents were going to freak, and I just couldn't handle it right now.

"Okay, it's been over six hours, and you have yet to speak. What _happened_?" He finally asked.

I shrugged, not willing to explain the whole story. "I had to burn bridges I didn't want to burn. But it was for their own good- I just have to keep telling myself that." I said quietly, hoping the pain would be less noticeable that way.

I didn't speak for the rest of the flight, nor did I sleep- I didn't want to think about what I would see if I closed my eyes now.

I wasn't even paying that much attention, until I looked around and realized we were in a rainforest. A very threatening looking rainforest. I shivered, not out of cold, but just because the place gave me the creeps.

Then, out of nowhere, a large bear-like red wolf pounced on me. I snapped out of my stupor and shrieked, knowing he'd never hurt me, but being completely caught off guard. I slipped out of his ginormous paws and pounced on him in turn, landing on his back and swinging around so he tripped, but caught himself before hitting the ground.

He was making a growling noise that I knew for a fact was werewolf laughter. I was giggling too- I finally had my best friend back. My arms didn't fit all the way around his huge neck, but I hugged him as hard as I could, inhaling the scent of pine and car oil.

Suddenly he took off into the forest, and I crossed my arms impatiently over my chest, a pretend-pout on my face. I couldn't keep it in place when he was back thirty seconds later, human- dressed in cutoff jeans.

He picked me up clear off the ground, swinging me around like I was still eight years old. I was laughing harder than I had laughed in a long time, momentarily forgetting my problems. He hugged me to him tightly. "I missed you kid." He said softly.

"Yeah, what's up with the disappearing act?" I joked. "It's not like there's a big scary shadow-thing with a bad attitude after you or anything." I said with a snicker.

Seth chose this moment to cut in. "Hate to ruin the cute little reunion, but you want to clue us in on how you know all of this?" He asked. I stepped back, eying them critically- trying to figure out how best to start.

I absentmindedly followed them to the small tent they had set up near a campfire, that was roaring. I fell lightly to the large damp log that was a few feet away. "Well… my powers just sort of… grew I guess? Partly because Chase's powers just kind of switched hands when I killed him." I said, my voice going hard.

"I'm sorry you _what_??" Jake asked, glaring daggers at Seth.

He shrugged, plopping down on the other side of me. "You're the one that went AWOL man." He said.

I laughed. "Chase Collins. He thought he was a badass, but I totally showed him up. He was a Son of Ipswich, and he was trying to kill the other Sons of Ipswich because he's got daddy issues or something- well… _had_." I corrected.

"And what exactly is a Son of Ipswich?" He asked, I could tell I was in for a long lecture. Leaving me alone for five minutes and I get myself in trouble, and all that good stuff.

"They're wicked cool." I muttered, quoting Reid so very long ago when we first started falling in love. "They have a lot of power… the ancient bloodlines of the protectors of colonial New England or something. When their eyes turn black they can literally make anything they want happen. But their power wears out their body- the more they use it the faster they age. It kind of sucks for them actually." I said, remembering the day in Caleb's basement when Pogue explained to me what 'ascending' entailed.

Jake's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his scruffy uneven dark hair. "Really now. Well- sounds like you've had a lot of _human_ fun while at boarding school." He said pointedly. I giggled again, not able to help it. "Blondie's ass is so _mine_, I knew she was full of crap when she was talking about sending you to school on the other side of the country." He finished lightly- chuckling.

I shrugged. "Go for it. I love watching you and Rose fight. I learn all my best insults from you two." I said.

Jake shook his head defeatedly. "I blame you for this." He said, pointing a finger jokingly at Seth. Seth chuckled.

"What can I say? She's exactly like her mother- just a little smarter…sometimes." I jumped at him, knocking him off the rock he was seated on, and slipping out of the way before he landed on me.

"Well as long as you can admit I'm smarter that _you_, it's all good." I said with a grin. Seth conceded with good grace, for a huge werewolf anyway, and we all went to bed shortly after. I thought I may just be lucky enough to escape the nightmares, now that Jake was sleeping right next to me, but no- my mother's luck was the biggest thing I inherited from her.

_  
The shadow was back. "You are persistent, young one. Have you never heard of a lost cause?" It hissed. The chill was unbearable. I forced it away from me, and I felt my own eyes bloom with fire._

_  
"Have you never heard? There's something irresistible about a lost cause. And you know, I think you underestimate me- it's been done before." I snapped back, trying to keep the darkness at bay._

_  
The hissing voice laughed. "I do not underestimate your power, child. I know its strength better even than you do. But I also do not underestimate the depth of the love that your werewolf has for you. You should not have come here- you will be his downfall." It growled maliciously, swirling the icy gloom around me like an anti-blanket._

_  
"Say goodbye, little one." It hissed._

"NO!" I cried, shooting up into a sitting position. It was sweltering in the little tent, a relief after the frigidness of the nightmare. Seth grumbled, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, but Jake was already on his feet, poised to phase.

Dropping to his knees, he placed his hands lightly on my shoulders, catching my eyes so I couldn't look away. "Are you okay?" He asked, alarmed. I tore out of his grip but threw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder.

His arms immediately wound around me, and the heat calmed me down- I was still shivering slightly. Finally I nodded in reply to his question. "I'm… okay. It was just a nightmare… I should have known they weren't going to stop." I mumbled, not pulling away, just leaning my chin over his shoulder, meeting Seth's worried gaze.

"Nightmares?" Jake asked, pulling back so he could read my face when I answered. Seth had crawled over to where we were sitting, Jake's arm comfortingly around my shoulders.

I took a deep breath. "It's how I know what's after you- it's how I know what it wants, what it's going to do. The _shadow_…it talks to me in my dreams." I mumbled. Seth froze, a look of horror on his face. I turned to look at Jake, and shrank back.

Jacob was visibly shaking, the look on his face murderously angry. I tried to pull out of his grip; I had seen firsthand how easily werewolves could lose control, although Jake had never lost his cool around me before.

He wouldn't let me move half an inch, and I could tell that as hard as it was to believe, he was in control of himself, just extremely pissed off. I was holding my breath, waiting for him to say something.

He didn't speak, Seth looked more apprehensive than I'd ever seen him- he looked torn between tearing me away from Jake or trying to force some sort of reaction, just to get rid of the awful silence that had descended.

"Look… its okay…" I said slowly- not able to stand it anymore.

"It most certainly is _not_ okay." He snarled. I felt like stone, cold and frozen solid. "Do you have any idea-" He couldn't even finish his sentence.

I nodded. "I have a fairly comprehensive idea actually. It didn't beat around the bush much. It seemed to know all about me- more than I knew about myself actually… which was sort of creepy."

I continued, hoping a coherent conversation would calm him down some. "He…it was surprised at the amount of power I have- it doesn't seem to have a problem with me personally, but it did say that it was after you… and that it was going to use me to get to you…

"I should have stayed in Ipswich." I mumbled, feeling like I should be crying, but discovering that I had no more tears to cry. How had I made such a huge mess? I really _was_ my mother.

Jake's anger seemed to disappear as swiftly as it had appeared. He pulled me into a tight hug, brushing my tangled hair back off my face. "It's going to be alright Nessie; this is not your fault." He said, for what seemed like the millionth time.

I forced a laugh. It even _sounded_ painful. "You can keep saying that forever Jake, that doesn't make it true."

He was going to argue more, so I cut him off. "Don't. Us yelling at each other for the next three hours isn't going to do any good anyway. Just drop it alright?" I said with a sigh. He gave me a hard look, and I returned it stubbornly.

You could cut the tension in the small tent with a knife. There were still a few hours left before dawn, and I crawled back into the sleeping bag I had been using, and curled up on myself. I didn't want to have this conversation now, or ever for that matter.

Unfortunately, with sleep came dreams.

_  
The raised table was surrounded by flames. The tension in the small cave-like room was suffocating. There were too many people crammed in it, and not half of them were human._

_  
No one spoke, the two girls sitting on the stone steps looked terrified, the four boys standing ritualistically in their ancestors' places all had matching blank faces. The vampires were obviously making everyone nervous._

"_Want to run that by me one more time?" My extremely irate father snapped, pacing lightly back and forth. Mom was sitting in the empty stone seat- her knees pulled up, her arms around herself._

_  
Alice and Jasper were both silent, but I'd never seen either of them look so threatening before. _

_  
Tyler's eyes flashed- the fire flickering over midnight black, and suddenly my own voice reverberated through the place. The exact words I said in Nicky's, and then outside, before I drove away. It already seemed so long ago._

_**"So no, Tyler, I'm done here."**_

_  
Reid's face remained blank, completely hiding whatever he was feeling. Pogue looked fed up, and Caleb looked angry again- nearly as angry as Tyler._

_  
My mother finally lifted her chin off her knees and looked at each of the boys, and cast a short glance at the girls huddled on the steps, who both shivered. Slowly she stood, the firelight casting red highlights in her hair._

"_If I remember correctly, I got myself in about the same amount of trouble when I was her age. And she's smarter than I was- she'll be fine." She said softly, reaching out to stop Dad's incessant pacing. He gave her an exasperated look._

"_What do you want us to do?" She continued. "We won't find her- she's a lot like you too." She said with a small smile. She turned to my friends. "That was all? All she said?" _

_  
Sarah stood, and stumbled over to Caleb, shrinking into his side. "She answered her phone… she thought it was Seth- then she was arguing with someone. Something about 'the ancients' and how they answer to no one. And then she got really mad and said… uh… something like 'oh right, you're the reason I'm about to die, but don't worry? You've got to be kidding.' And then she stormed out."_

_  
Jasper's head snapped up, his eyes locking with Edward's. "No. That's impossible." Edward muttered. "If it was that they'd already be dead- we all would be."_

_  
Alice and Bella both froze, their golden eyes widening. "Want to run that by _us_ again?" Tyler asked coldly. I couldn't believe how angry he still was. _

_  
Edward reluctantly turned toward them with a sigh. He shot a worried glance at his wife before speaking. "The Quileute wolves were given their power to walk as spirits by a greater, more ancient power; they call them the Elders, or Ancestors." _

"_And they were given that power to protect their tribe from the supernatural evils that were overrunning the world… now it must seem to them that the wolves have gone against their duty by befriending us- and are going to wipe out the entire pack, bloodlines included." Jasper added sharply._

"_But there's no way that's what this is- there's no way Jake could have lasted this long against it… the ancients use pure power- nothing stands in their way." Edward said, and it was hard to tell if it was supposed to be comforting._

_  
Bella crumpled, falling back to the stone chair she had been sitting on. She sobbed tearlessly; I instinctively knew that she was blaming herself, as I was, for being what connected the whole pack with their enemies in a way that forced them to co-exist. _

"_What does that mean?" Sarah asked, a tremor in her voice. She was definitely going to be scarred for life- all due to being forced to room with the vampire/danger-magnet._

_  
Alice had her head in her hands. "It means Nessie's on her own now. I can't see anything. We don't know where they are, and we couldn't help them if we did. All we can do is pray."_

_  
Caleb finally couldn't keep his mouth shut. "That's your brilliant plan? Pray? How about fighting back?" He asked, his eyes flat black. Pogue nodded enthusiastically, his eyes just as dark. Tyler's eyes had been black since the discussion had first begun._

"_I don't think that should even be a question. If it's that bad… we _can't_ just sit here." He said resolutely, casting a quick glance at his best friend- who still hadn't said anything. Reid looked like he was a million miles away- he didn't even seem to be paying attention. Unlike the others, his eyes remained icy blue, and incredibly full of pain._

_  
Jasper stepped as close to the center of the room as he could, one hand stretched slightly toward Caleb, the other toward Tyler. "You are all young, and do not understand the world in which you must live. Starting fights right and left when you don't even know what you are up against… there's a reason your families haven't fared so well. _

"_Open your eyes and realize something- you are not indestructible, and there are some times that you just have to leave it to fate- forcing it only makes it worse." He said, his hundreds of years of wisdom shining through in his words._

_  
Fire filled Caleb's eyes, it was like the mysterious wind picked up suddenly, the flames around the center table flickered in and out. Electricity crackled between his hands, Sarah had quickly shot back to where Kate was sitting on the stairs. _

_  
The pure energy roiled between Caleb's hands, forming a mass of blue electricity. Apparently someone didn't like his family being insulted. Jasper had quickly dropped into a crouch, a snarl ripping from between his teeth._

And then the dream turned into a nightmare.

_  
Caleb forced the energy out of his hands, toward my uncle, who was poised to spring. Reid flung himself between them, getting knocked into Jasper as the mass of power hit him instead._

"_Jesus Caleb." He gasped, picking himself back up gingerly. "Calm the hell down. They're right. They are all right. Get it together man." He said, pulling himself back to his seat and falling into it._

I finally managed to wake myself up. The tears were back. I silently moved out of my sleeping bag, passed the two sleeping werewolves, and out the door of the tent. Getting as far away as I could, while remaining in sight of the camp, I huddled on the ground, the weak morning light offering no warmth.

They couldn't be fighting. Not like that. I couldn't bear the thought that Reid had to stand up for me after what I did to him. And against someone who was practically his brother. I was such a horrible person.

Pulling out my cell phone, I switched it on, and dialed the first and last number I really wanted to be dialing.

"Hey, I can't really talk ri-" the deep voice said, apparently not checking the caller id.

"I'm sure there are plenty of others out there that would be more than happy to destroy you- don't disappoint them all by killing each other, okay?" I asked.

"Rainy?" His voice was angry again, go figure. "Where the hell are you?"

I laughed. "Even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. Look, Reid's actually right for once, so could you _not_ attack him? If you have a problem with _me_, then take it up with me."

"Wha- How did you- What the hell is going on?" He asked, sounding extremely confused.

I sighed exasperatedly. "For getting into Harvard, you sure aren't the brightest. I am a vampire. Say it with me, vam-pire. I _saw_ you arguing with my parents, way to go on calling them by the way, and I saw you nearly knock one of your best friends out cold. Chill out. Everything is going to work out one way or another." I said, not really believing it.

"Yeah, right. I don't buy that for a second. If you knew what you were going to be up against, why did you leave?" He asked.

I couldn't speak for a minute. "Because." I finally said. "It doesn't change anything. Except for your involvement. This is between vampires and werewolves. Which, trust me, makes it complicated enough."

Surprisingly, he laughed. "Right Rainy, and the whole thing with Chase was between the Sons of Ipswich… but if I remember correctly- you just took that as more of a suggestion." He retorted, causing me to laugh too.

"Well… I'm me." I said as way of explanation. "What did you expect?"

"That is a good point." He said, sounding serious for a minute before laughing again. "But seriously, you can't do this alone. You're one of us now." He said, and it sounded more ominous than I'm sure it was supposed to.

"Look, Caleb, I really appreciate what you're trying to do here but…" I said, surprised when he cut me off.

"I wasn't being polite Rainy. When you killed Chase, you literally became one of us. Did you not read the rest of that book?" I dropped my cell phone, hearing it click off when it hit the damp earth.

* * *

**and the plot thickens... lol make sure to review!!**

**preview for next chapter:**

_I heard a scuffle, and Alice's faint voice. "Which one of you crazies is Tyler?" She sang. I grimaced- trust her to make my life as miserable as she could._

_"I'm Tyler- and forget it." I heard him snap. That hurt. I figured he'd at least want the extra chance to yell at me._

_"Sorry Ness, looks like your so-called friends don't really want to talk to you. Better luck next time, that's if you're still alive I mean." She said lightly. _

_... ... ... ..._

_"Jake?" I asked suddenly, as what he was saying finally processed through my brain. "What are we doing_ here_?"_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey y'all! okay, so this is mostly a filler chapter, but it's all centered on Rainy and Jake. So enjoy, and don't forget to review!!**

**disclaimer in chapter one.**

_**~wwsadd**  
_  
Old Knowledge 

I tried to wake myself up again. There was no way he'd just said that. There was no such thing as a girl with their Power. It just didn't happen. Thinking that through, I had to laugh. The half-vampire with the werewolf best friend was being stereotypical, go figure.

But really, what could it _mean_? I had already figured out I could use Chase's Power, but did that mean it would take its toll on me the way it did on them? I was supposed to be immortal- was I going to age now? And what did that mean for my family? It looked as if they were never going to have their happily ever after.

At the same time though, would this help me in this fight? Being the 'Daughter of Ipswich' for all practical purposes seemed like it would either be very helpful, or very detrimental. And didn't that make Caleb right? The Power of the Ipswich bloodlines worked best when used together- if I wanted a shot in hell at winning this fight, I couldn't completely block them out.

I mulled this all over, as I sat on a large lichen covered boulder, staying in the shade, as the sun was beginning to get very hot. My phone had busted when it hit the ground, and I jumped when it just fixed itself. I didn't feel the power coursing through my blood until after the fact. Something Sarah had said long ago echoed through my head. The Power was addictive- an addiction that was far more dangerous than any other substance, and one that was so tempting it was practically a never-ending cycle of self destruction.

Taking a deep breath, I flipped it back open, dialing another number. "Yes?"

"Hey Aunt Alice! I… uh… have a problem." I muttered.

"Ness? We already knew that. When _aren't_ you causing problems?" She asked. It would have been insulting coming from anyone else, but it was easy to hear the excitement in her voice. Trust Alice to always be up for an adventure, no matter how dangerous. I grimaced.

"Thanks, you know, I'm just trying to make everyone's lives hell. Anyways, I'm with Jake and Seth, I'm not really sure where, but Jake's already freaking out about everything under the sun, and I think Seth is really starting to get scared of this whole Elders thing. And of course the Elders sent some big badass shadow monster, which has a very peculiar sense of humor." I said, taking a deep breath after my speech.

"And you know that… how?" She asked curiously.

"I feel like I've explained this a million and ten times." I grumbled. "When I sleep, I let down the natural walls in my mind, and I've started having these really graphic nightmares, only they aren't nightmares." I said pointedly. "And for the record, if that had really come down to a fight earlier, it wouldn't have been as easy as you think to win."

"Oh great, so now you have visions and read minds, and have this new power thing? Are you ever going to stop showing the rest of us up?" She asked with a giggle.

"This new power… is not as cool as you think. Actually, it's sort of scary." I muttered.

"Scary how?" She asked.

"Scary like… it kills the ones who carry it. Bet Caleb left that part out, eh?" I asked, trying to find humor in the situation.

"Ness… hate to break it to you hon, but you're immortal." She said simply. I laughed lightly.

"Correction, I _was_ immortal." I said, just as simply. "Now that I share their power… who knows?"

"Oh boy. That's gonna go over well." She muttered. I nodded, though she couldn't see it.

"No joke." I mumbled. "Let's keep that one on the DL for right now. But uh… I need to talk to Tyler, like now-ish, please?"I asked, mentally berating myself. I was basically guaranteeing getting a long winded angry lecture. But I wasn't talking to Caleb again, or I was going to be the one freaking out.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" She asked, and I could tell she was laughing at me.

"Not at all, just give him the phone." I said with a sigh.

I heard a scuffle, and Alice's faint voice. "Which one of you crazies is Tyler?" She sang. I grimaced- trust her to make my life as miserable as she could.

"I'm Tyler- and forget it." I heard him snap. That hurt. I figured he'd at least want the extra chance to yell at me.

"Sorry Ness, looks like your so-called friends don't really want to talk to you. Better luck next time, that's if you're still alive I mean." She said lightly. I giggled. I knew what she was doing. Alice was the master at mind tricks.

I heard a movement across the clearing, and saw Seth and Jake both stumble out of the tent, one after the other, and both casting worried looks around. I raised my hand lightly and half-waved. "Never mind Alice, Jake and Seth just woke up, and I'm sure they're going to want to hit the road soon. Tell Tyler I don't blame him for being mad, okay? I'd hate me right now too… oh wait, I do."

"Ness-" She started.

"Bye Alice!" I said quickly, flipping the phone shut.

"Who were you talking to?" Seth asked suspiciously, kicking out the signs of the campfire, and giving me a critical look. I stuck my tongue out. Jake looked up interestedly from gathering the depressingly small amount of things we had.

"Calm down would you? They thoroughly hate me now okay? No worries. It was Alice. Caleb had to go be a pansy and call my parents." I explained shortly, lightly flinging my small canvas pack over my shoulder.

We took off to the West, heading into the dense forest, moving fast enough to cover a lot of ground, but not so fast that I would get worn out. "Who hates you? And are you telling me your mother knows about all this? That's just great. I'm sure she's overreacting." Jake muttered, leading us through the thickening trees- I couldn't tell where we were going, but he seemed to be following something.

I laughed harshly. "She actually didn't freak out that much, Dad did though, he's the one that had to go and explain to everyone how if this was what he thought it was we'd already be dead, therefore it can't be what it actually is… yeah, I didn't really follow that part of the conversation."

Seth raised an eyebrow. "They weren't killing each other?"

I glared. "Just because _you_ hate them doesn't mean they're bad people Seth." I snapped. Jake looked between us curiously.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm missing something?" He asked. I glared at Seth, daring him to say anything. He kept his mouth shut, and I could tell that as much as he would never admit it, he was scared of me.

"Seth doesn't like my new friends. He thinks that just because they have power that could be used for evil, that that must mean their bad. Which, obviously isn't true, or I wouldn't exist." I said shortly. "For the record, they're some of the best people I know, and the bull shit I just pulled on them was definitely not cool on my part. Caleb's right- he's always right. I shouldn't have done what I did." I said lowly.

"What exactly did you _do_?"He asked, helping me over the biggest fallen tree I'd ever seen.

I hung my head. "Trust me, the things I said… I'm not surprised at all that Tyler hates me." Jake raised his eyebrows, inviting me to continue. "The rest is history." I said resolutely. "So where are we going?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"It's a secret. Seth!" He called, to our friend that had fallen behind some. "Stay here."

He looked like he was about to argue, but just sighed and sat down against a tree ungracefully.

"Wow, bossy much? Why can't he come?" I asked, starting to feel suffocated. It was like the air was constricting.

"Because. No one is supposed to know about this place. It took me over a year to find it. It's where our very magic started, thousands of years ago." He whispered, helping me over another fallen tree. "Notice how thick the air is? This place is so full of power it practically radiates from everything. Uncomfortable isn't it?" He asked with a chuckle, when I made a face.

"Jake?" I asked suddenly, as what he was saying finally processed through my brain. "What are we doing here?" There was no way that _this_ was a good idea. Dad had said that Jake was basically taunting death, and it wasn't like I had enough power to fight this thing by myself.

He sighed. "Ness, I never meant for you to know so much about all of this… There was a reason I didn't tell your parents. I didn't count on you being so much smarter than everyone else on the planet." He said with a chuckle. It was still hard to breathe, but I had to grin too.

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence. But I'm not that smart, obviously. I'm making as many messes as my mom did." I pointed out.

He led the way through the darkening forest, helping me over more rough rocks and fallen trees. "I highly doubt you've caused as much trouble as your mother. She had more vampires in one place than anyone in history. You may not remember, but she almost wiped out both our families. This isn't quite as bad." He said, laughing again. I wondered if his good mood was just caused by us finally spending time together again- it was hard for me to be too depressed at that point too.

But his statement brought my mood back down. "No. This is only going to wipe out your family. But that doesn't make it better Jake." I said quietly.

He stopped and turned to me, pulling me into a light hug. I inhaled, feeling the sharp homesickness fade away. "What do you think we're doing here? I'm not giving up without a fight. I'd really rather you be far away during it though." He said, and I shook my head furiously.

"You listen to me Jacob Black." I said, pulling away enough to glare at him. "I don't leave my friends alone to fight their battles. That's not who I _am_. I'm stronger than my mother; you won't make me stay locked safely away while you get yourself killed." He raised his eyebrows curiously. I grinned.

"Seth told me the story about Victoria. I don't need a babysitter- I'm not _human_. I'm a Guardian." I said softly.

I felt him stiffen slightly, the muscles in his arms rippling. "What the hell is a Guardian?" He asked, sounding exhausted. I could relate. I was getting really tired of fighting all the time, never knowing what was going on, and just generally feeling completely confused.

I slid lightly to the ground, leaning against a large tree, and tugging on his hand so that he fell to his knees next to me. Keeping his hand, needing the comfort, I started explaining slowly.

"Thousands of years ago… There were Guardians. Half human, half creature of the night- that's how my friend Kate explained it. They had the power to 'walk between the worlds'. As she put it." I said, making quotation marks around the words with my fingers.

"They were supposed to keep other supernatural peoples and… creatures-" I said, playfully nudging him in the ribs with my elbow. "-safe from exposure, and those who would use their power for evil. They were supposed to have some measure of control, but I'm not really sure how to _do_ whatever it is that I'm supposed to. The thing with Chase was just pure luck. And now Caleb's going on and on about how me stealing Chase's powers somehow connects me to the Sons- I just don't get it!" I sighed frustratedly.

Jake's eyebrows had pulled together in concentration, and confusion, I guessed. "So you have the power of one of these Sons of Ipswich? How does that work?" He asked cautiously. I laughed humorlessly, and let the Power run through me- it already seemed like second nature. I felt my eyes turn black, as the fire coursed through me.

A large fallen tree a few feet away slowly lifted off the ground, until it was vertical again. Pointing two fingers, I motioned, and it reconnected with the earth, suddenly upright- as if it had never been lying on the damp earth. I let the fire drain out, and squeezed my eyes shut until I was sure that they had faded back to their natural brown.

"Like that." I whispered, keeping my eyes closed.

Jake whistled impressively. "Whoa. I'm not going to lie, that's a little scary Nessie. Remind me to never get on your bad side." I was holding my breath, my veins were still crackling with electricity, and I didn't know how to shut it off.

Leaning my head back against the tree with eyes still tightly closed, I mumbled. "It's a lot scary. It's super addictive, and it's dangerous. I don't even know enough about it to really be sure that I'm using it correctly. Caleb's the only one that knew what happened- I didn't even realize it until he just told me this morning."

Suddenly there were light fingers on my face, emanating heat. "Nessie, open your eyes." I shook my head tightly. I could still feel that they were midnight black. "Ness… now." He said, authority ringing in his voice. I knew that tone, and there was no arguing when he used it.

I sighed, struggling to breathe in the suffocating air. I let them open slowly, staring resolutely away from the werewolf whose face was just a couple feet from mine. I heard him gasp. I laughed harshly. "Scary doesn't even begin to cover it, right?"

"What… what's happening to you?" He asked. My gaze shot quickly to his face. I'd never heard him get scared before. A thrill of terror shot down my spine. Jake wasn't afraid of anything.

Except me.

"I don't know." I mumbled. "I…I'm sorry Jake." I choked out. I desperately wanted the Power to fade out, but it was still coursing through me. It was starting to be painful. At my words however, Jake pulled my tightly into his strong arms, and the warmth that radiated from them was a blanket, not a fire. I breathed easier.

The perspective I was often missing hit me like a ton of bricks. We were all just playing a part- and we each had our part to play. Fighting it didn't help anyone. I had made my decision with Chase- I belonged to the Sons of Ipswich now.

What Caleb had been saying made perfect sense in that moment. Guardians became tied to those they protected, changing as was required until they were exactly what was needed. It was the biggest sacrifice they made, it caused them to alter the very people they were- but it was for a greater cause. A cause I was only beginning to understand.

Each time I tried to help someone else… it would get harder. It was going to pull me apart- over and over again. I just had to decide if I could handle it.

"No, Nessie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone." He whispered. "I want to protect you from whatever this is…" He started, but I cut him off, finally clearing my vision.

"From myself? Jake, that's just one of those things- one of those few things even _you_ can't do. I got myself into this mess- because it was meant to be, just like Bella got herself turned into a vampire because that was meant to be. We can't fight fate. This is who I am now. And we can use it to our advantage." I said resolutely, making my decision.

"What do you mean?" He asked cautiously, perhaps frightened again by what he saw on my face. I knew now it was just a fierce determination.

"I can be what you need to win this fight Jake." I said simply, though there would be nothing simple about it.

* * *

**so... it wasn't awesome, but it was mostly to clear some things up between Rainy and Jake. **

**And don't worry the boys aren't gone, Rainy still needs answers, lol.**

**review review review! please?**


	5. Chapter 5

**First off, I'm going to apologize for the length of the author's note, but there were a couple questions that I wanted to answer. **

**  
Rainy's power is supposed to be the reverse of her parents', I do understand that- I was mostly going off how Bella was able to reverse hers so Edward could read her mind at the end of Breaking Dawn. **

**  
She hasn't thought to ask Nahuel for help… (yet) and I was sort of under the assumption that the Volturi were going to go take out their wrath on his father for creating all these half-vampires, and it also seemed to me that his sisters would just sort of be included in that (therefore they would no longer be around)**

**  
I also did realize that Rainy grows faster than normal humans when I started writing this story. The only reason I waited and put the setting at where she was actually sixteen was because I wanted to express the length of time she and Jake had been apart, and it seemed like it would matter more if it had been five years as opposed to a few months or whatever (and she doesn't age past 16 or 17 anyways, so it didn't really matter on that side)**

**  
She isn't a 'daughter of Ipswich' (she isn't really sure about how it works either) that's just what it seemed like to her. She's supposed to take on whatever qualities she needs to protect those she comes in contact with. She won't 'ascend' because Chase's powers just sort of transferred over to her when he died, and he had already ascended.**

**  
And, there was a point to the fact that vampires aren't really of any use against Jake's enemy- this story is supposed to illustrate Rainy's uniqueness, and the fact that she's the only one who can really save Jake. Their bond wouldn't be as strong if she could just call in an army of vampires and then sit back safely and let them do the dirty work.**

**  
Hope that clears up any questions, anything else you want to know, just leave it in a review!! (don't message me, I don't ever get those!)**

**  
And lastly, I usually hate switching POV's, and don't do it in a story as a rule, but I thought it might be a good idea to have some insight to what was happening in Ipswich, in between Rainy's nightmares. Don't hate me!!**

**  
Sorry again for the length, enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review!**

_**  
~wwsadd**_

* * *

Old Revelations

(Sarah's PoV):

I couldn't decide. Could this possibly be worse than last year? On the one hand, I had ceased being surprised about anything at this point, and even Nessie's rather frightening relatives were not able to push me to run away screaming.

Obviously I was getting really good with this whole supernatural thing- which was a plus- I would need to adapt, after all, I _was_ planning on spending the rest of my life with Caleb Danvers. And this time it wasn't Caleb, or even the other boys, who were in danger- and no one was after _me_.

Maybe this should be easier than last time.

But on the other hand, this was Nessie, my new best friend, and none of us really even knew what was going on. She was by far the bravest, smartest person I'd ever met. She had an air of mystery, as if she didn't quite belong to this world, but she was willing to pretend.

There was never a dull moment with her around- she brought us closer together as a group, especially Reid and Tyler- they had never been as willing to be a family before she came along. And now those ties were slowly being frayed. I'd never seen Tyler so angry, and from the look on Caleb's face- neither had he.

I understood the bond Tyler and Nessie had- probably better than most. Ness had issues with trust after what had happened with Jake- somehow Tyler had convinced her that he was here for her, here to stay. She counted on him for that, something that didn't seem like a big deal to most people, but meant the world to her.

When he had come back into Nicky's, the look on his face had been halfway between anger and pain. I couldn't believe she had turned her back on us, I couldn't believe that she didn't see that Tyler counted on her to be there just as much as she counted on him. She broke all her promises- broke her ties with us all as if they were nothing. Tyler had every right to feel so betrayed.

Surprisingly, Pogue was the clear-headed one in this mess. He knew there was nothing about us that would be able to control or keep Nessie here with us. She belonged to a greater cause of some sort. I could tell that he had known that from the beginning, and that he had spent what time he could enjoying their stupid arguments and faux-battles- he conceded to her departure with better grace than the rest of us.

Caleb was keeping something from us, something big, usually Tyler called him on that kind of thing, but he was too busy freaking out right now to do anything but glower. I didn't want to ask- something told me I wasn't going to understand anyway.

The one who got the worst of this whole mess was Reid. He _loved_ her, it was so easy to see- the way his shoulders were hunched, his head dejectedly resting in his hands as he slumped in the old stone seat that had belonged to his bloodline since before the Salem witch trials.

I was internally cursing my boyfriend for being so violent, so brash, right now. Reid was the one who wanted what was best for Nessie, despite what was best for the Sons of Ipswich. It was only a matter of time before it came down to a fight between the two of them, like it always did.

I was putting my money on Reid this time, he was at breaking point. Something he didn't deserve after how absolutely amazing he had been to Ness. She had no idea how deeply she had changed him.

We had been in the Colony house for hours, Kate and I didn't have a clue what was going on, the boys were all getting angrier, and the vampires had all finally left to "regroup", which I could only assume involved lots of blood. I shuddered involuntarily.

"I'm sorry, can we stop arguing for five minutes please? This isn't solving anything." Kate finally snapped, uttering her first words of the entire day. She got to her feet lithely, although she hadn't moved in over an hour.

"Look, Rainy's a big girl, okay- she made her decisions, and there isn't a hell of a lot anyone can do about it until she lets us. She's a pretty smart kid- she's the one who figured out how to defeat Chase all by herself, and she's figured out what's going on with this Jake guy. She'll let us know when she wants our help." She said shortly, making her way into the center of the ring of legends. I was never going to be as good at this life as she was, she was my hero.

Pogue cracked a smile, grabbing her hand; he pulled her to a somewhat safer place under his arm. "Listen to her now, she's always right." He said lightly, the tone of his voice clashing with the despairing atmosphere in the ancient room.

I wearily climbed to my feet too. "She is right." I said, putting my two cents in as I tripped over to Caleb's side. "Whatever this is, it scared her enough to shut us out of it. Maybe she'll change her mind.

"I should know… she does talk in her sleep a lot." I mumbled, casting a meaningful glance at Tyler. He looked away swiftly, not grateful for the reminder of the night he had spent calming her down. I wondered what exactly he had said to her.

"The vampires said their power wouldn't be effective." Pogue reminded us.

Tyler's eyes had yet to return to their usually clear sky blue. "Ours might be effective though." He snapped. "Why are you all so willing to just let this go?" He asked in outrage.

Reid winced, pulling himself up to his feet gingerly. He was a tough kid, but Caleb had sure thrown a lot of power at him. He shoved Tyler lightly, no violence, only desperation in the action.

"Because it's what she _wants_ man. You should know better than anyone that when she makes up her mind, there's no stopping her." He said, his voice serenely calm, which was nearly as unsettling as the deep pain that he couldn't mask in his icy eyes.

Nessie had changed him so thoroughly that it was throwing everyone for a loop. Caleb's mouth was half open, Pogue looked like he wanted to laugh but wasn't sure he even could. The old Reid would be angrier than Tyler, and pushier than Caleb.

Tyler's eyes finally faded out to their normal color, as it got less oppressive to be in the small underground room. I had never realized just how powerful the youngest Son was. Something told me that he might even be able to school Caleb in a fight.

No wonder Chase had wanted that. And no wonder he used Nessie- if she hadn't been so clever, the whole situation would have gotten really bad, really fast. I couldn't imagine what Tyler would have done against something threatening her that he actually knew how to fight.

Caleb cut in, unused to not being in charge. "I don't think any of you understand exactly how Rainy's powers work." He said shortly, his eyes turning black. The small book that he had spent hours pouring over in the last weeks floated off the shelf, into the middle of the circle.

It blew open, hanging suspended over the ornate round table. "Rainy knows how this works- she was able to guess as soon as I brought it up. When she runs into a supernatural being that needs help, she changes… into whatever she needs to be to save them. For us, she was able to take Chase's powers, use them against him.

"Each time she makes the conscious decision to save someone, she turns into what she needs to in order to win the next fight. But each time she does it… she is permanently altered. The power of the Covenant will always be part of her. It will get harder and harder for her to adapt to different situations. This will literally tear her apart if she keeps it up.

"She knows this, and she, as has been pointed out, makes her own decisions. She will save Jake. She just might not be the _same_… when she returns… _if_ she returns." He finished, his voice lowering until it was a whisper, as he cast a sympathetic look at his best friends.

What he was saying hit me like brick. She wouldn't be Nessie anymore. I wondered if she would turn into some sort of super-spirit warrior, complete with the unstoppable power of Ipswich. This was not happening. Reid, _Tyler_, even Caleb and Pogue were not going to survive if she didn't come back. She was a part of their Covenant, part of the family.

I shook my head to clear it, and in doing so, caught Reid's eyes. He had finally run out of strength. I was proud of him for lasting this long- and furious that Nessie was doing this to him. This Jake character had left her, Reid was the one that helped her feel again, Tyler was the one that helped her trust again… and she was choosing him over them. If she ever came back she was going to be _so_ sorry.

Stepping away from Caleb and toward Reid, I lightly hugged him. Besides Caleb, Reid had always been my favorite Son, despite what it seemed to outsiders, Reid and I had a relationship much like Tyler and Nessie's. He was a pain in the ass, but he was also a fiercely loyal friend, and sometimes I got to see the real side of him.

I could tell that what he really wanted to do was just disappear and reappear in South America, grab his stupid girlfriend, and hightail it back here. Reid wasn't usually one for running, but this time it seemed like that was exactly what he wanted to do, only after he had Nessie back though.

And besides, Reid had made a promise, to himself and to his brothers that he wouldn't Use like that. Transporting over that kind of a distance could not be good for the whole not-dying-before-forty thing. He was considering it though, and it was easy to see Tyler was too.

"You know we won't find her." Caleb said pointedly, as if he could almost read his friends' thoughts. "We could Use all we wanted, and we still wouldn't be any closer to a solution than we are now. And we'd be dead- not a plus." He added condescendingly.

Tyler glared at him. I sighed, lightly keeping my arms around Reid's neck. "No, you aren't going to be able to find her. But you guys _do_ have magic… couldn't you track down the shadow-thing with it?" I asked as the thought occurred to me.

It was glaringly obvious- we had been focused so hard, first on finding Jake, then on finding Nessie, that we didn't think about going right to the source. If this magic dated back as far as the boys' did, there had to be some record of it somewhere, some idea on how to find it, if not stop it.

Reid had stiffened, but his eyes filled with hope again, a real smile spreading across his features. Tyler choked out a relieved laugh. Pogue was grinning. Caleb… was not.

"We'll go consult with the Elders. Don't let the vampires in on this- they have enough to worry about with the werewolves going berserk, and they'd only get in the way. I can't believe we didn't see this before." He said, sounding halfway angry. Elders meant Reid and Pogue's dads, as Caleb and Tyler had already both lost theirs.

"What about us?" Kate asked indignantly, looking between her boyfriend and mine. "You are so _not_ locking us down here again." She said pointedly.

I nodded in fierce agreement. "That was not cool. We want to help too."

Caleb groaned. "Are you always so stubborn?" He asked, pulling me away from his friend and hugging me tightly. I giggled.

"I didn't used to be, but have you _met_ my roommate?" I asked through another wave of relieved laughter.

* * *

**so... what did u think about the PoV switch? let me know if you hated it, cuz then I won't do it again, it was just kind of an experiment, and I personally kind of liked how it turned out. Next chapter will be back to Rainy, unless I get a bunch of reviews demanding otherwise!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So… the feedback I got was definitely positive on the PoV switch, so here's another. It won't be Sarah again; there will be a few chapters before we check in with them again. Anyway, disclaimer in chapter one, and make sure to review!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

Old Prejudices

(Claire's PoV):

I don't remember a time when my life did not revolve around the legends of my tribe. I was two years old when I got dragged into this mess of werewolves and vampires- I was fourteen when my favorite uncle, someone I viewed more like my father, was killed for being the leader of the Quileute wolves.

I had moved in with my aunt and uncle when I was six, and when Emily got pregnant seven years later, I became a built-in nanny, a job I adored. Jacy was the most adorable, sweet little boy ever, and Emily became so depressed when Sam died that I basically took over care of the kid.

My best friend at the time, Quil Ateara, was a godsend. He had been there for as long as I could remember, he knew me better than anyone, took care of me when I got too overwhelmed, and became a father-figure for Jace.

Last year, on my eighteenth birthday, Quil proposed. It was everything I ever wanted and more, the pack had always been my family, I'd never dreamed of needing anything else. I had said yes.

Now, my fiancé was about to kill two of his brothers, Sam's best men, because Jacob Black is an _idiot_. I understood his bond with Renesmee Cullen, probably better than just about anyone. But this was madness.

"Hey Babe, I won't be back tonight, Embry and I are running patrols. Leah is still MIA." He shouted, and I flinched. They had been running patrols for weeks, ever since Seth's crazy sister had disappeared. Seth was probably the coolest werewolf ever, but his sister was a psycho.

A very very fast psycho. They weren't going to catch her- they knew it, she knew it, even I knew it. I slammed the metal pan down on the stove, angrily reaching over to flip on the gas burner. It had been more than five years since my uncle's death, and Emily was still devastated. She slept more than anyone I knew, barely joining us for meals.

I had given up dreams of college long ago- and truly, I was happy here, but this was getting so old. I got up in the mornings, got Jacy ready for school, ran errands, worked a shift at the reservation's small bookstore, picked up Jacy, helped him with his homework, went and woke up Emily, made dinner, and put everyone to bed. Day after day.

All the while knowing that the wolf pack that had been my family for so long was locked in a deadly battle of some sort. But did my lovely husband-to-be feel the need to clue me in on anything? Not a chance in hell. All I ever got for my ceaseless questions were exasperated sighs and resentful glares.

Fuming, I yanked open the fridge, pulling out assorted food items, and then slammed it shut again. "Babe?" I heard, from right behind me this time. I didn't turn, I didn't want to get into another fight, it always made me feel like I was so much younger than nineteen.

"What?" I asked shortly, pulling open the bottom refrigerator door and grabbing a bottle of the high quality beer that we were usually out of, but ever since this whole civil war business had started, the house was never full of laughter and warmth and love. It was empty, cold, and as a result, the things the wolves cleaned out of the kitchen were still fairly well stocked.

I popped the cap off and took a fast gulp. I wasn't usually a fan of alcohol, but I needed to mellow out before I did something stupid. "Whoa, what do you think you're doing?" Quil asked, his normally easygoing features frozen in shock. Apparently he hadn't been around enough to realize that I'd been picking up some bad habits. I smirked vindictively.

Spinning around, I quirked an eyebrow, daring him to argue with me. "It's going to go bad- it's not like there's ever anyone else here to drink it." I snapped, lifting it to my lips again. And it was true. Emily and alcohol did not mix; it only made her depression worse. And Jacy was fifteen years away from legal.

His reflexes would always be faster than mine, even after a lifetime of trying to catch up. His hand shot out and grabbed the bottle, dumping the amber liquid down the sink before I could so much as blink an eye. With a small flick of his wrist, the bottle was in the trashcan on the other side of the small kitchen.

"Don't be like this Claire." He said shortly. He rarely used my name- except when he was mad. Great, looked like another fight anyway. "How many times are we going to have this fight?" He asked.

I crossed my arms rigidly over my chest, trying to make up for at least a little of our height difference by standing up as tall as I could. "I don't know, you tell me." I said, instantly regretting the immature comment.

"_Claire_…" He trailed off. I pushed past him, continuing to get dinner ready.

"Look, Quil, I love you. But seriously, I won't keep doing this, I _can't_. Sam was my uncle, his six year old son is my responsibility, and I need you to be straight with me."

"What is going _on_ here? Emily has been mumbling about spirits and vampires and goddamn _judgment_ day. I am _scared_, Quil, and all you can ever say to me is 'I'll be out all night running patrols again, let's not talk about it.' What am I supposed to _do_?" I said, my voice cracking twice as I threw three plates down on the worn wooden table and reached up into a cabinet for glasses.

Of course, when it came down to it, I couldn't stay mad at him, no matter how much I wanted to. His strong dark arms wrapped around me from behind, effectively spinning me into his embrace at the same time. My face was pressed against his chest, his chin resting on the top of my head.

When he spoke, his deep voice reverberated through my whole body, immediately calming my nerves. "You do not need to be afraid, do you understand me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you, or to Jacy. I haven't told you everything because I was trying _not_ to scare you. It's going to be okay baby."

I pressed myself against him as hard as I could, missing this. It had been so long since we'd done anything but work and fight. "What was Emily talking about then?" I mumbled.

He sighed, not letting go of me, but pulling me over to one of the mismatched chairs by the table. I climbed up into his lap, again feeling like a child. "She was talking about what killed Sam. Our magic… it's turning against us.

"Jared and Paul think that killing the Cullens will solve our problems… Embry, Seth, Leah and I know that it'll just make a bigger mess. Especially when they go after Renesmee. Jake is going to flip some serious shit, and I feel sorry for whoever is around when that day comes." He explained slowly.

I stiffened. Jared and Paul, which automatically meant Collin and Brady, wanted to kill Nessie? That was against tribal laws. Jake would have to kill them then. Then everything would literally go to hell. I wasn't necessarily buddy-buddy with the vampires, Quil didn't trust them nearly as much as he pretended to, but I couldn't believe that it had come to this.

"So… right now… if a fight starts, it's you and Embry against Jared, Paul, Collin _and_ Brady?" I asked with trepidation. Quil and Embry were skilled fighters, but besides Jake, no one was a match for Jared and Paul, forget the two younger ones.

It suddenly made a lot of sense that they were looking so hard for Leah. She may be hard to handle sometimes, but being the only girl werewolf in the history of our people had made her a total badass. She was faster than any of them, and the cleverest by far. No one ever wanted to get on her bad side, including Jared and Paul.

I felt him shrug hesitantly. "Yes. But they still haven't figured out how to disobey Jake's direct orders. He was never one for injunctions, but that one he made very clear. Unfortunately I'm not sure how much longer it's going to hold them." He said softly, and though he would never cry in front of me, I could tell that he missed his best friend dearly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to apologize for being such a crybaby. "Sorry Quil." I said sadly. "I didn't mean to get in another fight, I just…" I wasn't even sure what I was trying to say at that point. But it was alright, because he interrupted.

"No, Claire, I'm sorry- I didn't realize how hard this was getting for you. I never want you to be scared okay? And I promise Embry and I are going to keep this under control. I don't want to leave, but we need Leah, especially now that Seth is off gallivanting around the rainforest." He said with a chuckle.

I giggled, wiping the single tear off my cheek before I could make him feel even worse. "Yeah, what gives with that?" I asked lightly, climbing off his lap and over to the neglected stove.

"I don't know. He thinks Jake is suddenly going to change his mind or something. When we phase, we can't really hear him or Jake anymore. At least not distinctly enough to understand anything." He explained.

"Either way, the Cullens should be on the lookout- Paul is about to pull out all the stops, and I hope they don't have their backs turned… for their sakes. I swear I'll be back in the morning, before you even wake up, okay?" He asked, pulling me over to kiss me goodbye before taking off out the back screen door.

I tried to compose myself, I knew from years of experience that there was no stopping those wolves, they were forces of nature in and of themselves, and worrying did no good.

Jacy came stumbling in a while later, a grin on his six-year-old face. "Hey Auntie Claire! I just saw Quil phase and run off into the forest!" He said, like it was the coolest thing in the whole world. And I supposed to a little boy, it was pretty awesome.

I smiled, glad that it was genuine- I hated faked happiness. "Well of course silly! He wouldn't be a very cool uncle if he didn't spend time running around looking like an oversized puppy, would he?" I asked, putting the finishing touches on dinner. "You go wash up while I go get your mom."

Emily Uley had at one point been the smartest, bravest woman I knew. She took care of the pack of werewolves like they were her family- the same thing I had been trying to do ever since she had fallen into her depression.

It was terrible to see her now- weak, thin, pale through her dark coloring. She had so many nightmares, that I had finally broken down two years ago and called Carlisle Cullen for a prescription sleep aid. Quil still didn't know about that.

When I reached her door, I knocked slowly before entering- only knocking as a reflex. Cautiously sitting down on the side of her bed, I tried to gently shake her awake. The scars that ran down half her face were a strong warning to me, living with werewolves was not exactly the safest choice in the world- but she had known, as I did, that it was well worth the risks it presented.

"Claire?" She whispered. I tried to smile, having to go with fake this time. "Don't ever let yourself lose him… it will be hell on earth." She said ominously. I shuddered. It wouldn't come down to that- even if I had to talk sense into Jared and Paul myself.

Unable to sleep that night, and knowing that Quil wouldn't be back to yell at me anyway, I climbed out of bed, threw on some old jeans and a 'La Push' sweatshirt, and grabbed Quil's car keys. It wasn't like he ever used the small Chevy anyway.

I couldn't tell if this was a really really good idea, or a super bad one. Either way, I made my way down the sleeping streets, getting slowly closer to First Beach. I cut the engine outside the small house, and cast a quick glance at the still-glowing dash. It was half past midnight- but it was now or never.

Banging on the door, I mentally apologized to the neighbors. It was flung open a short minute later by Jared's wife Kim. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, trying to figure out what the emergency was. "Claire? Is everything alright?" She asked frantically.

I remembered her well from the better days- when everyone was on good terms with each other, and hardly two days could pass between large 'family' reunions. I nodded quickly. "For now. Is Jared here?" I asked, trying to hold on to my escaping resolution.

She shook her head nervously. "He isn't here…" She was cut off by the door being flung open wider. I took a step back. I had purposely NOT gone to Jake's sister's house… and the reason stood growling in front of me.

I guess Jared and Paul didn't feel as indestructible as they let on, if they were taking turns patrolling and watching over each other's families. "What do you want?" Paul asked angrily, pulling Kim out of the way and yanking me into the dark interior.

My mind was screaming at me to turn and run- but I instinctually knew that that would be pointless right now. "I wanted to talk to Jared- since he isn't quite as irrational as you are- but since he isn't here, I guess you'll just have to do." I said, keeping my chin in the air. Quil was going to _kill_ me.

Kim's eyes widened. _Nobody_ talked to Paul like that. "Either start talking or get out." He snapped.

I glared. "Do you really not see what you're doing? Good God Paul, you're ruining your family… your tribe… everything. You really want to go out and kill your brothers? I'm tired of having to ignore Emily's warnings, I'm sick of having to dodge Jacy's questions. My uncle counted on you to keep things together… is this your idea of together?" I asked, letting my voice raise in volume a little bit, while pulling the Alpha's-niece card.

He visibly flinched; it was easy to tell that my admonishment had worked. "Claire." He said frustratedly. He was going to continue, but was cut off by my sudden burst of laughter. I could only laugh harder at his 'okay, you seriously need help' look he was giving me.

"Sorry." I gasped. "You sounded exactly like Quil. Don't you see how interconnected you all are? You married Jake's sister, whose best friends with Embry's wife, and I'm Sam's niece, engaged to Jake's most trusted pack brother. Tell me you see how ridiculous this all is."

I never would have guessed what happened next. Paul ran a hand over his face tiredly, and let out a small laugh of his own. "Why does it take a little girl to set the entire pack straight? You really are related to Sam." He said with a quick grin.

I growled playfully, a habit I had picked up being raised by wolves, so to speak. "Well it's not my fault you're a big bunch of furry idiots." I snipped. "But seriously Paul, lets hold off the vampire-slayer brigade, okay? You know the Cullens are off limits. Stop being such a masochist." I said, referring to the horror story of trying to evade an injunction.

He sighed. "I'll think about it." He said. A little girl came stumbling out of a side bedroom just then, and I immediately felt bad for waking her.

"Daddy?" She asked bewilderedly, tripping over to Paul. He swiftly leaned down and picked the girl up, hugging her tightly.

"Hey princess, what are you doing up?" He asked, and his change in demeanor was extraordinary. I'd never seen Paul be nice before.

The child yawned. "I heard peoples talking." She said, laying her head down on his shoulder and promptly falling back asleep. I raised an eyebrow.

"Paul, we need to stick together, if you won't do it for your brothers, do it for her." I said, gesturing to the sleeping kid. I didn't wait for him to answer me, I just let myself out, climbed back in Quil's car, and took off- driving until I hit the outskirts of the reservation.

I sat and thought for a while about everything that had happened, and decided that I had done what I could for now.

By the time I got back to the house, it was after three in the morning. I climbed tiredly into bed. "Where exactly have you been?" I heard. I shot up, my breath catching in my throat. Quil was lounging in the window seat, and he didn't look happy.

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to." I advised, rolling over and quickly falling asleep. Another fight was guaranteed, but it would wait till the sun came up. At least I had bought a little more time.

* * *

**Okay, I promise the next chapter goes back to Rainy and Jake, I just wanted everyone to have a little insight to what was going on in La Push! Review!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm glad people seemed to like Claire's PoV!! I wanted to give some insight into the werewolf pack, without the bias of actually writing from one of the wolves' point of view. Depending on what people want to read, I'll go back and forth between the three girls, (Rainy, Claire, and Sarah) to give a better understanding of all the different sides of the situation (it's got a complex story-line, but I DID warn y'all!) **

**Anyways, I only got one question in the reviews- and Claire is on Quil's (and therefore Jake's) "side". Quil doesn't really trust the vampires, but he trusts Jake's judgment. So Claire and Rainy aren't necessarily friends, but they do get along okay.**

**This is my finals week, and I'll come back to this story ever time I need a study break, so updates should actually pick up in speed, as long as I get reviews!  
Disclaimer in chapter one!!**

_**  
~wwsadd**_

Old Ultimatums

We made our way deeper into the rain forest, and I got more and more apprehensive. What if I had misinterpreted what Caleb had said? What if I was wrong? I wasn't so sure I liked this whole 'being responsible for everyone in your life' thing.

I had refused to tell Jake exactly what I thought I was capable of doing, I knew all he would do was freak out and send me back to Seattle. I really needed to talk to Caleb, but something told me that that would just make everything more complicated at this point.

It had been four days since I had skipped the country, three since Jake had taken me to the sacred place where it was hard to breathe- it was like the magic was suffocating. Not comforting when paired with the knowledge that in my dreams, the shadow thing did just that.

"I still don't get what you're doing." I said, climbing over another fallen tree. They seemed to be everywhere. Jake was three feet ahead of me, Seth was just a couple steps behind me.

"Think of it like a scavenger hunt." Jake muttered. He was tired of my questions, that much was obvious. "Or an obstacle course." He added, slipping between two large tree trunks, and lithely jumping over a large moss-covered boulder.

I rolled my eyes. "_This_ is what you've spent the last four years doing? Seriously? _Why_?" I asked, wondering why the hell someone would waste that much time on a wild goose chase for an ancient power that must have a seriously sadistic sense of humor.

"Do _you_ have a better idea? This is what I have been told to do to save the pack, so this is what I'm doing… proving our loyalty to our ancestors." He said exhaustedly.

I snickered, though I found nothing amusing. This was completely pointless. I was almost praying for another nightmare-visit from the shadow… just so I could figure out what the hell it really wanted… besides the Quileutes dead.

"Jake man, I think we took a wrong turn." Seth said suddenly. Jake stopped dead and looked around. I took the time to get my bearings as well, and had to groan when I realized we were in the same place that we had been six hours earlier.

"We did not just go in a giant circle." I moaned. "This is so pointless! Isn't there some way to just summon the damn thing and fight it?" I asked, instantly regretting the words.

Seth was staring at the ground, so I knew my instincts were correct. Jake looked kinda pissed. I vividly remembered the dream I had had when Seth and I had gone hunting nearly a month ago. Jake _had_ been fighting it… Jake had been _losing_.

"Don't you think I've already tried that?" He snapped. I don't know what it was, but Jake and I were just not on the same page anymore. Maybe five years was just too much time apart. I sighed.

"Well obviously you can't fight it; it's your own magic that you're fighting against." I said condescendingly. "But my magic might work. If you'd trust me enough to let me try, that is." I snapped back. The look on his face was one of pure horror. I just rolled my eyes. I was a big girl now; I didn't need a babysitter or an overprotective big brother anymore.

"Don't even think about it Renesmee." He said shortly. I stamped my foot I was so mad. He was wasting so much time with this nonsense.

"You are such an idiot! You know, when I was little, this bullshit was fine, but guess what? I'm all grown up Jake, and I'm sick of this crap!" I said viciously.

The wind began to pick up, the sky began to darken. The air got thick with suffocating shadows. "Damn it." I muttered. I was prepared to face the thing in my dreams, but I wasn't ready to fight it in real life. I heard Jake's frantic voice, but it was too dark to see him or Seth.

The screeching hiss of a voice seemed amused, and I mentally noted that I'd been right about the sadistic sense of humor thing. "Oh… why the fighting young ones?" It asked.

I heard Jake and Seth start to choke; my nightmare was coming true in front of my eyes. "Stop it!" I cried, letting the Power flow through my fingers. I felt my eyes bloom with fire. It kept the shadow from completely enveloping me- and I continued to breathe easily. But it wasn't doing anything to fight off the darkness that was killing my friends.

"That's quite a trick you have there, little one. Why don't we see who's got the stronger power?" It asked, still sounding like it was enjoying itself in some sort of sick way. Suddenly the air around me thickened. I called upon more power- knowing that Chase had been the strongest Son.

"Bring it on. Just leave them out of it." I snapped, pressing back against the shadow with every ounce of energy I had. There was a screeching sort of laugh.

The choking noises I had been painfully hearing for the last few minutes ceased, and I prayed it was because the thing had decided I was worth more than they were, instead of it just killing them off. "Your little power might hold me off, but it won't defeat me." I heard, the evil hiss coming from all sides.

I was frantically searching for the trigger. To get Chase's power all I had had to do was give him what he wanted. But how did I put that into play here? This thing wanted Jake dead- wanted the entire pack dead. Obviously it would be counterproductive to give it what it wanted.

"What do you want?" I asked, hoping to god it would give me a straight answer.

"Well, the Ancestors want proof, proof that the Quileutes have learned their lesson. Or…" It trailed off.

"Or what? Damn it; just tell me what I should do!" I yelled. If nothing else, I hoped to distract its attention away from Jake and Seth and toward me.

"Or… you could go before _them_… make them an offer they _won't_ refuse." It hissed mysteriously. I had no idea what it was talking about- but obviously going with door number two was going to be in everyone's best interest.

The chill of the shadow was starting to make me shiver- it was so much colder than it ever had been in my dreams. My mind went fleetingly to the night in Tyler's room. He had said something so important to me that night… what was it?

He said I was real, my bravery, stubbornness, and loyalty. He said everything else was just Hocus Pocus. I couldn't help but think that the answer to all of this was somehow hidden in his words. I just had to hold on to the belief that he was right.

So I just had to hang on to my courage, stay loyal to what I knew was right, and just continue to be_ me_. I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing with every fiber in me that it would be enough. "Take me to them." I said. With that, I let go of the Power that had been holding the shadow at bay, and let it overwhelm me, swirling around my body, turning my breath to frost.

Then everything was dark. I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing but a wolf, howling in the distance.

* * *

**so... I need opinions! should it stay in Rainy's PoV, or do you want me to go back to Sarah's and/or Claire's? Let me know!! Review!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so to answer the questions I can (from the reviews) Reid, Caleb, Tyler, and Pogue are currently trying to figure out what Nessie is fighting, and they are trying to find a way to track it. That was the only reason I would have gone back to Sarah's PoV, I personally thought the constant nightmares to show what was going on back in Ipswich was kind of getting old. Plus every time I go to do that I have to put in some way for Nessie to fall asleep (which isn't very practical that this point). Second… we're just about to find out where the shadow took Nessie.**

**Any more questions, leave them in a review, I know this story is complicated, and I don't want to confuse people!**

_**~wwsadd**_

**p.s. disclaimer in chapter one!**

Old Laws

When I was finally able to breathe, and to see, I took a few moments to look around. I was still shivering violently, the shadow was so cold. After a few moments, I decided I had no idea where I was. Moreover, I decided that this was not a place that one could get to unless dragged here by some supernatural being.

Everything was in a surreal dream-like fog, but not even fog… more like a gentle glow that obscured my vision in a very irritating sort of way. I knew I wasn't sleeping; there was way too much adrenaline in my system.

I had no idea what I was supposed to do now, but what I did know was that if it didn't start warming up here soon, I was going to get hypothermia. "Hello?" I called, wishing my voice didn't sound so shrill. I tensed as it echoed through the small space.

Keeping the Power just within reach, I glared around. Why would the shadow just dump me here? Was there no purpose to except perhaps keep me out of the way while it finished off my friends? My stomach sank as that thought occurred to me.

"Renesmee Cullen." I heard- only it was not the hissing I was prepared for, but a deep, somehow earthy sound, what I would expect the forest to sound like if it had a voice. "You have been brought to a place just about no living person has ever had the honor to see." It continued, as if I had won a prize by getting to come fight for my life… again. Maybe I should just give up already- if my whole life was going to be endless fighting…

I couldn't help the involuntary eye-roll. "Well thank you oh so much. Who am I talking to anyway? I mean, you know my name, it only seems fair that I should get to at least put a voice and a face together, don't you think?" The scareder I got, the more sarcastic I seemed to be. Probably not a good thing.

The voice seemed to be a little more forgiving than the shadow however- I heard a gentle chuckle. It sounded tangible this time however, so I spun back around. My hand flew to my mouth; this was a face I knew, remembered, from years ago.

I shivered, this time from fear, though I was still freezing- I had been at this man's funeral, I had only been eleven, and I had been unfamiliar with death- everyone I had known was planning on living forever. Sam Uley's eyes stared back into mine, full of the calm acceptance that my mother used to hate.

The air was warming up by the moment; unfortunately my skin didn't seem to want to rise in temperature with it. My lungs weren't operating correctly- I was pretty sure this was what a panic attack felt like. I'd take Chase again over Sam. Sam had wanted me dead before I had even been born.

He didn't seem the same in death as he had in life, the burdens he had carried were gone, it was like he was truly at peace. I faced him, expecting more to appear, Billy Black perhaps, or Harry Clearwater. But he faced me alone.

Finally I was able to choke out words, still unable to really breathe. "I have to prove myself to _you_?" I asked through the utter panic. Sam smiled.

"Not only to me, Renesmee Cullen. I am just the apparition, the face that we, the Ancestors, put on, on the rare occasions we appear to people- the most recently gone Alpha is the one who speaks for the Elders as a whole." He said, his voice the same as I remembered it, though his words made an odd kind of sense.

Oh lucky me.

"So… what exactly am I supposed to…_do_?" I asked hesitantly.

Sam, or the Sam-looking being, smiled calmly, and I could see why it annoyed my mother so much. This was a life or death situation, for everyone involved, including his _son_. How could he be smiling like that?

"The shadow that we have sent to dole out punishments for the last four hundred years is evil." He said. I couldn't help the half laugh that came out of my mouth at that.

"Thank you Captain Obvious." I muttered.

Spirit-Sam did not as much as blink at my disrespectful tone, or the less than kind words. "We could not defeat it, when we faced it nearly half a millennium ago, all we were able to do was control it- force it to do our bidding.

"But we no longer wish to be constantly on the watch, it is getting stronger, and soon will be out of our control once again. We do not wish to be again locked in a deadly battle with it. You can go against it yourself, however- and we will call the whole deal even. The wolves, the vampires… they can have true peace." He said, still maddeningly calm.

Even? He calls that _even_? The force of nature behind the spirit warriors of old could not do what they were asking _me_ to do? And that was _even_… well; it seems we had different definitions of the word. I took a deep breath.

"Is this some sort of test? Like, am I supposed to do this a certain way… or within a specific time period…? Must I do it alone?" I asked, lowering my voice at the last question. There wasn't much point in asking that, after all, if the spirit warriors couldn't win against it, who was I going to ask?

"It is not a test. It is a deal. Do what you must- be warned, however, that the wolves will do no good against it, as you have doubtlessly seen already. And your family, the vampires, they have not the ability needed to stop it either.

"If you had something else, or someone else in mind, of course, use whatever means necessary." Spirit-Sam intoned. I felt like I was caught in some sort of bad fantasy novel, the kind where the girl is given a mission to kill the dragon or the world will explode at midnight and flying monkeys will force everyone into slavery or something just as completely psychotic.

"And what, this shadow thing, I'm assuming it knows what you're planning?" I asked sharply. I was literally at my wits end with this.

For the first time I saw a real emotion flit across spirit-Sam's face, it was one of irritation; I could not tell who it was directed at.

"Yes, well, it is incapable of fear. It only believes this to be a game, one that it doesn't believe you have much chance of winning." He said, the calmness back.

"You agree?" I asked, making my words a challenge.

"We shall see."

* * *

**so... yeah... now we're getting somewhere, lol. **

**let me know what you thought, and if i should switch PoV's again at all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, I'm sorry, but I need to take a break from Rainy's PoV, she's beginning to drive me crazy. (wow, that sounded a lot weirder than it was supposed to). But no worries, I'll get back to it soon enough. Here for your entertainment in the mean time, another Claire/Sarah snapshot. **

**It should be obvious, the first half is Claire, and the second is Sarah.**

**Yes, this is short; it's just a filler/breather between major chapters.**

**Review anyways though!!**

**I own nothing!! (except the amazingly awkward situations I create, he he) **

_**~wwsadd**_

Old Friends and Old Foes

(Claire's PoV)

"You _what_?" My extremely irate fiancé exclaimed, his dark skin becoming red in his irritation. The small boy sitting at the kitchen table dropped his fork with a clatter to the plate full of pancakes, splattering butter and maple syrup everywhere.

I sighed, reaching for paper towels. "I went to talk to Paul. You remember him, right?" I asked pointedly, my expression clearly reminding him to mind himself around Jacy. He glared, and it was not the playful mock-glare I usually got, but an honest to god, I'm-going-to-murder-you glare.

"What the he-" He began, but changed his word choice when I smacked him with the dish towel that was flung carelessly over my shoulder. "-ck were you thinking? _Paul_? Do you have a death wish? … Don't answer that." He decided.

"It's not like I went looking for Paul. Geez Quil, give me a little credit. Jared was running, so Paul and Rachel and Erika were staying with Kim at Jared's place. I was going to talk to Jared. Paul just happened to be the one to answer the door." I said lightly, as if it was no big deal. And in reality, it wasn't. Nothing bad had happened.

"Jared was running?" He asked, sidetracked. I shrugged. It's not like they would be anymore.

"_Was_. Paul seemed to hear what I said last night. I doubt you have much to worry about. The Cullens should probably still watch their backs but…" I trailed off.

The look he gave me was condescending at best, downright insulting at worst. "You think you talked sense into Paul? Are we talking about the same werewolf here? Big, hairy, brainless, _Paul_? What exactly did you _say_?" He asked skeptically.

I rolled my eyes, picking up Jacy's finished breakfast plate and dumping in the sink while he ran upstairs to get his shoes and jacket. Turning on the tap, I concentrated on the task at hand.

"I just told him he ought to be ashamed of himself, that he was letting my uncle down by tearing the pack apart. I reminded him that we're all a family- and the only way we are going to survive is if we continue to act _like a family_." I said firmly, rinsing the dish soap off the plate and setting it on a rack to dry.

"You said _that_ to Paul?" He asked, ignoring the fact that I was, in fact, a genius, and only focusing on the fact that Paul had serious anger issues.

I nodded. "And it worked. You're… welcome?" I said hesitantly. He was about to respond when Jacy reappeared, ready for school. The look Quil shot me clearly said 'we will finish this later'. He grabbed his keys and fake-smiled.

"Ready for school, Jace?" He asked, with mock-enthusiasm. I had to admit, I was better at acting, but then again, I'd been at it for most of my life. I grabbed the little boy as he rushed past, hugging him and ruffling his hair lightly.

"Be good, I'll pick you up at the end of the day." I said, waving goodbye as they climbed into Quil's car.

They hadn't been gone for two whole minutes when there was a knock at the door. I dried my hands on the dishtowel and threw it on the counter. I hoped it wasn't anyone special, all I was wearing was sleep-shorts and one of Quil's too-big t-shirts.

Needless to say, I was really hoping on catching a nap before I had to go to work- I didn't operate well on less than five hours of sleep a night. Yanking open the door, I held my breath as the late November air sent a drafty chill right into my face.

Then I was holding my breath for a different reason. There were four werewolves in my doorway… four werewolves that had not been on this property in over two years. I could feel my eyes widening.

"Are you going to invite us in or…?" The least scary of them, Brady, asked lightly. I backed up, gesturing that they were free to enter. It wasn't like I could slam the door in their faces…. Well, I could, but it wouldn't end well for anyone involved.

They made their way into the familiar living room- a place that held memories for us all, memories of a happier time when everyone came here to eat, laugh and play. This used to be a second home to every werewolf in La Push. _Used_ to.

Now it seemed too crowded. Leaving them in the front room, I hurried to the kitchen, picking up the phone on the wall. It rang twice before a deep, calm voice answered. "Hello?"

I rushed through the words, anxious to get back to the other room before Quil got here. "Embry, it's Claire, I need you to come over here _right_ now okay?" I asked, trying not to sound panicked. Maybe I wasn't as great an actress as I thought.

"Are you alright? Where's Quil?" He asked, his voice still calm, but somehow urgent at the same time.

I shrugged, though obviously I knew he couldn't see it. "Taking Jacy to school. Everything is fine; I just need you to get here before he does. Jared and the others showed up, and I think they just want to talk, but you know Quil… sometimes he's too much like Paul for his own good." I explained, trying to speak swiftly but not sound worried.

"I'm on my way." He said quickly, hanging up the phone without waiting for an answer. I always knew there was a reason I liked him so much. He never asked more questions than he strictly needed to. I hurried back to the main room, where the guys were now lounging around on the small worn couches like they owned the place.

"So… not to be rude, but why'd you all suddenly decide this was the cool place to be again?" I asked, pulling myself up on the edge of the tall narrow end-table that sat along the wall closest to the front door.

Everyone but Jared laughed. It seemed he wasn't completely sold on this whole truce thing. "We miss real food." Collin said lightly, and Brady nodded earnestly. I giggled.

"Is that some sort of really poorly disguised hint?" I asked, wondering if there was any way there was enough food in this house for all of these gigantic guys. Collin shrugged, a grin still on his face. It was strange how quickly things fell back into their normal pattern.

I heard a set of wheels pull up the small driveway, and I winced. Quil wasn't going to be so very receptive to this right now. When the front door opened, I braced myself, and heaved a sigh of relief when I heard two voices instead of one.

Both cut off quickly upon entering the room, and I looked resolutely away from the two werewolves that had just joined us. There was silence for a full minute before Embry spoke up.

"Well this is comfortable." He said sarcastically, immediately alleviating the tension in the room.

Finally I glanced over. I had become an expert at reading Quil's expressions, and this one was clearly telling me that I was getting kicked out while they had their (hopefully friendly) family reunion. I sighed, sliding off the table lightly and crossing the room to the stairs.

"You know, you should let her stay- she's the one who made us come to our senses, if she hadn't barged in and put me in my place last night, we'd still be working strategies for attacking each other, and you know it." Paul said, in a very Paul-like manner.

Quil groaned, grabbing my hand and pulling me roughly to his side, his overheated arm trapping me tightly. "Seriously man, whose side are you on anyways?" He asked with a smirk, gesturing between me and himself, an eyebrow raised.

At that moment I knew, everything was going to be okay.

***+++***+++***

(Sarah's PoV)

I had been staying at Caleb's for almost a week, unable to sleep in an empty dorm room. Kate had offered to stay with me, and I know I could pull a Nessie and crash at Tyler's, but Caleb and I were both more comfortable this way.

Of course, right now, no one was "comfortable". We were waiting for Caleb to return from speaking privately with Pogue and Reid's fathers. The large plasma screen TV stayed off, the usually warm cheery living space in the basement of Caleb's mansion was currently chilly and ominous.

We had spent days going through almost every book in the Colony House, and came up repeatedly empty. Nothing about werewolves, anywhere. Personally, I thought we should not have sent Renesmee's parents back to Seattle; they had to know more than we did, although, admittedly, they had seemed pretty in the dark about it too.

"We may not even be looking for the right thing." Kate said suddenly, staring down at a small book open in her lap. Tyler hopped off his usual place on the counter, and Reid looked up interestedly, though he did not move from the armchair in the corner.

Pogue leaned over her shoulder. Consternation covered his face a moment later. "What are you _reading_?" He asked, somewhere between disgusted and amused.

She shrugged. "'_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_.'" she read from the cover of the thin, red paperback book that definitely didn't come from the vast array of books that had been left to the Sons. "I bought it at Barnes and Noble when we were in Boston."

Tyler snorted. "Way to go, why didn't we think of checking local bookstores' _fiction_ sections?" He asked sarcastically. I wished Ness would hurry up and get back here, I missed the nice Tyler.

She glared at him. "Seriously, it says that a werewolf is a human that involuntarily turns into a big, rabid-like, homicidal wolf- and only at the full moon." She said pointedly.

"From what Seth said, they don't kill people, so they aren't homicidal, and they can phase whenever they want, none of this full moon nonsense. Plus, this book says that in order to become a werewolf, you must be bitten by one, while in its rabid-wolf form. The Quileutes' abilities are hereditary… Are you seeing my point?" She asked.

"Which point is that? The one where you're nuts, or the one where we're wasting our time with this whole thing?" Pogue asked, pulling the book from her hands and flipping through it. Tyler glared at him, and this time I had to agree- it was better than standing around arguing about what Nessie may or may not do.

"What are you saying? That they aren't really werewolves? Then what are they?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation moving in a productive direction. It was nice to feel like there was some sort of purpose in the madness, and I was glad we were getting somewhere, no matter how strange everything was becoming.

"And why does it matter? It isn't the wolves we're trying to find anyway-" Tyler started, but was cut off when the door at the top of the stairs flung open.

Caleb's face did not look promising when he entered the large open space. "I spoke with the Elders… they had heard of it." He said, rubbing the back of his neck like he did when he was beyond stressed out. When he flopped down on the couch next to Pogue and Kate, I took one of his hands and held it tightly in both of mine.

His eyes were closed; his head leaned back on the cushion of the couch. I had never met any of the older generation- besides Caleb's dad, but I could see why trying to have a real conversation with them would be exhausting.

Without opening his eyes he mumbled, "Before the Quileutes turned into giant wolves, they use to be able to walk around as pure spirits." He said. I remembered hearing that story one night when Seth was trying to scare me and Kate.

I nodded. "But then one of them turned evil, and stole the chief's body, so the chief's soul wandered around for years, waiting for its chance. Hovering as a spirit is like, super uncomfortable, and so one day he asked a wolf if they could… _share_ the wolf's body.

"And then, something happened, and I don't remember what, but the chief got so angry that he morphed back into a human, because the wolf's body couldn't deal with human emotions. He took back his tribe, and everything was happily ever after until the vampires came to town. A war started, and the descendents of the spirit warriors found that they could morph into giant wolves too- hence the Quileute werewolves came to be." I finished, not really understanding how that knowledge was helpful.

No one spoke for a moment. I thought Caleb might have even fallen asleep, except that his hand was now balled into a fist in mine. "You already _knew_ that?" he asked.

Kate cut in. "That's common knowledge on their reservation. Seth told us that story a long time ago, but it doesn't really help… so what if their souls used to walk around without bodies? They can't anymore." She said decidedly.

Tyler was pacing. "Did they say anything else?" He asked, his question obviously directed at Caleb.

"Yes. The wolves' ancestors, the ones Rainy was talking about, still live on after death. The greatest of the Quileute chiefs turn back into real spirit warriors, to keep an eye on their tribe, and to make sure their descendants are staying true to their duties.

"Four hundred years ago, the ancestors themselves got caught in a deadly battle. Their enemy was a shadow- pure evil that wreaked havoc on the native peoples of the New World. The Ancestors were not able to defeat it, even in their spirit forms, the shadow was able to separate them, suffocate them. But through their teamwork, they were able to come up with a way to control it. Now it does their bidding- though not happily." He finished.

So the Quileute Ancestors were using evil to kill off their own descendents? That was all kinds of messed up.

"Anything else?" Tyler asked, clearly sick at the same thought I was having.

"The shadow is getting stronger- soon the ancestors will no longer have power over it, and it will once again run rampant, killing whoever and whenever it pleases. I think they must have first tried to get Jake to fight it off, being the impressive fighter that he is, but he was unwilling to drag the rest of his pack into it." He said, his eyes still closed.

"So what, now they want Rainy to get rid of it?" Reid asked, somewhere between horror and disgust in his eyes. "This is so full of bull shit man."

Caleb shrugged. "Yes, well, until she comes back here and figures that out, there's not a hell of a lot we can do. Help her fight it, maybe, but she's probably the only one who can _find_ it."

* * *

**review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys!! Sorry about the wait, but I just had to move from my college dorm room back home, and I'm finally settled back in, so I can get back to writing!!! **

**There weren't really any questions, but for simplicity's sake, (and because I'm lazy) I just want to clear up one thing right now. The Cullens are in Seattle, and they are still under the impression that the werewolves are turning on them, so they are trying to figure out how to defend themselves without their watchdogs, lol. Obviously they are worried about Rainy, but they accept the fact that there's no way for them to help her until she asks for it.**

**Okay, I'll stop annoying you now, on to the story!!**

**Disclaimer in chapter one!!**

_**wwsadd**_

**p.s. **_**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them**_** is a real book, and obviously not mine, lol. **

Old Allies

(Rainy's PoV)

I was still freezing. I wondered why that was. The wolves were always so _warm_, what gives? I was still facing Sam Uley, one of the scariest people I could imagine.

"Do you accept this challenge?" He asked, irritatingly calmly. I grimaced.

"Let me get this straight. I fight this thing off, and you leave my family, including the pack, alone? You let the treaty stand as is, and accept that werewolves and vampires can be friends- forever?" I clarified.

He nodded once serenely. "That is the deal. As long as your family does not endanger humans, we will allow the pack to live in harmony with them, for as long as either survives. We are in accord?" He asked, extending a hand.

I shuddered. This was really the only option, right? I mean, what else was I going to do? This was protecting my family, my friends, and who could even tell how many others? This evil needed to be defeated, and I was the only one who would stand a chance, I was one of a kind…

Something hit me hard then. I was not one of a kind. I was two of a kind, _we_ were two of a kind. I vaguely remembered a boy, dark hair and dark eyes, a lilting voice that spoke with an unfamiliar accent.

I remembered how he saved me- saved us all- when Alice tracked him down fifteen years ago. He must be the same thing I was- a _tutore_, a guardian… I wasn't completely alone. But how did I find him? How did I ask him if he would join such a suicidal mission?

My voice shook when I spoke next. "Can you help me find someone?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the ground while I waited for his answer.

"Perhaps. But only if you personally know the one you are trying to find." He said. I nodded in understanding. Taking his still-extended hand, I shook it, but then held on, concentrating on the man I hardly remembered, my one hope for survival.

I got colder, somehow, and squeezed my eyes shut, getting dizzy from the blurring colors. It felt like floating, but not like being under the influence of alcohol. It was in no way pleasant, it was confusing and scary and isolated. This must be what the spirit warriors felt like disconnected from their physical bodies.

Breathing a sigh of relief when I felt my feet hit the ground, I let my eyes open again. It seemed I was back in a rainforest, but not the same one I had left. Sam nodded once, and disappeared, before I even had a chance to thank him.

Still shaking, I couldn't make myself move. He must be here somewhere. Nahuel, the only other person in the world like me. I hadn't seen or spoken to him in years. He had visited a few times when I was very young, but he and Jake always managed to get into a fight, and he had stopped coming.

From the darkness of the thick trees I heard a slight sound. It was much quieter than an animal, let alone a human. It must be supernatural. I instinctually dropped into a crouch, reaching with my mind for the Power that always seemed to be at my fingertips now.

The scent was not offensive, but somehow familiar- like I should know it anywhere. It smelled like the large redwood trees, tropical fruit, and ancient civilizations all rolled into one. I straightened slowly. "Nahuel?" I asked cautiously.

Suddenly he was before me, my quick vision not quick enough to see his blurred movements. "Renesmee Cullen? Well it sure has been a while." He said quietly, keeping a good distance between us.

I nodded. "I'm glad you remember me." I muttered. He chuckled, the sound like music- he seemed too familiar, I had to attribute it to the fact that we were essentially the same.

"Of course, you are the only other one of our kind, it would be impossible to forget you." He said, still amused. "How did you find me?"

I shrugged. "I came to ask you for help, beg for it if need be." I said, also trying to sound humored. My outlook on this situation was getting better every moment. I couldn't believe I had forgotten that I was not completely alone.

He took a few steps toward me, his posture relaxing, as mine had. "Beg? I hardly think that should be necessary. I will, of course, help you in any way that I can." He said with an easy smile.

"Don't say that just yet. I haven't explained the situation yet, and I don't like making people feel obligated to become suicidal." I said with a snicker. One of his dark eyebrows quirked at an inquisitive angle.

"So it's that kind of help." He said, the smile never leaving his face. "Well we all die sometime… at least, that's how it's supposed to be. How do I help?"

I let the Power flow through my hands, the sky darkened, and the tangible vision filled the clearing we were standing in. I showed him the day in the Colony House, learning about what we really were, how when I killed Chase I absorbed his power, and how the shadow had been haunting my dreams.

Then I skipped to Sam's explanation, to what our mission would be if he chose to help me. Slowly I let the Power drain away, afraid that I had showed him too much, that he would run for the hills, literally.

He stood stock-still, as I felt my eyes return to their normal dark brown. "Nahuel?" I asked hesitantly, after a minute had passed.

He shook his head, as though to clear it. "That's… quite something. I stand by what I said earlier, I will help you Renesmee. But I don't know that it will be enough." He said, the humor gone from his voice, his true age visible only in his dark eyes.

I took a deep breath. "I know, but it's all I've got." I mumbled, the chilling fear creeping back into my body.

I felt his eyes on my face, though I did not look up from the mossy ground. His fingers wrapped around my chin, pulling my face up so our eyes connected. Slowly he shook his head.

"You think you are so much more alone than you are. Do not forget those that love you, you are only condemning yourself. I think it is time we return to New England." He said, his words as serious as his eyes.

The chill got even colder, as it wrapped around my heart. I would not pull them into this, I couldn't- I couldn't put them in such a direct path between me and my enemies. They were not strong enough, and I could not be responsible for anything happening to them.

He could see my opposition to his words in my face. "You are young, and strong, and brave- but I know more about life than you can imagine. You will be just as responsible for their pain if you shut them out- we need them, they need you."

I couldn't deny that what he was saying was true. Reluctantly I nodded, and surrendered to his wisdom. Above all, I needed to see them all, needed to explain to Tyler- needed to feel Reid's arms around me at least once more.

"Okay. You're right. Let's go." I said softly.

* * *

**so... what do y'all think? reviews are love!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey y'all! Glad everyone seemed to like Nahuel's chapter!! Anyway, here's another major chapter- let the drama begin!! *insert evil laugh here***

**Disclaimer in chapter one!!**

**Don't forget to review!!**

_**wwsadd**_

**oh, and be warned, this is the longest chapter I think I have **_**ever**_** written- but enjoy anyway, because there probably won't be another update for at least a week!**

Old Ties That Bind

My heart started to beat faster as we climbed in the yellow Porsche that had been in a long-term parking garage for the last two weeks. We had had some trouble getting back into the States, something about illegal immigration laws… it took us longer than I would have guessed to skip back over the border.

It didn't help that I didn't have any money or identification on me, having left the small bag of my most important things with Jake and Seth. I figured if the shadow was after me now, the least I could do was stay far away from its previous targets.

Two weeks had passed since I had run from the place that had become my home. Just fourteen days. It already seemed like months, maybe even a year. So much had changed, but so much had not.

The adrenaline pumped through my veins, my hands shook, and so I gripped the steering wheel harder. A song came on the radio that nearly pushed me over the edge. I reached to turn stations, but I changed my mind and turned up the volume, wondering how it even got onto this station.

_Nothing you can know that isn't known._

_Nothing you can see that isn't shown._

_Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be._

_It's easy._

_All you need is love._

_All you need is love._

_All you need is love, love._

_Love is all you need._

The song took me back, back to one of the best times in my life, really living for the first time. The six short weeks before Chase had changed my life forever, seemed like a lifetime ago.

Luckily I had quick reflexes, and though my eyes stayed on the road, my mind did not.

_That had, without a doubt, been the weirdest movie I had ever seen. It had actually made me kind of nauseous. Everything had been changing colors repeatedly, and swirling around uncomfortably. _

_It was the third "Thirsty Thursday" of the school year, and Sarah and Kate had decided to take full advantage of that fact. I, on the other hand, still had some of my brain cells. _

_Tyler had gone with the girls, who were meeting Caleb and Pogue at some huge house party, obviously Tyler was reasonable enough to realize that he would be the only sober one at the end of the night, and wanted to make sure everyone got home safely._

_That left Reid and I with an open night, and we'd already spent the majority of the week at Nicky's. Instead we opted for a night in, and spent a good amount of time arguing over which movie to watch._

_A movie at the bottom of the large stack caught my eye. Being a music buff, I immediately recognized the title of the movie as the song title to one of my mother's favorite Beatles songs. _

_Pulling it out, I waved it in his face. "What about this one?" I asked, having never seen it. I wasn't a big movie person, I enjoyed music, books, and of course, dancing- more._

_He cocked an eyebrow. Then he started laughing. I couldn't tell what was funny, but soon I was laughing too. Which made him laugh harder… which made me laugh harder… a very vicious cycle._

_He stopped first, and yanked the DVD case out of my hands lightly. Popping it into the player that was connected to a large home entertainment system, he pulled me back to the giant leather sofa that occupied the center of the large living room._

_It was not the first time I had been to the mansion that he sometimes called home, but it was the first time his parents were out of town. I lay with my head on his chest, my eyes trained on the screen._

_Halfway through the movie, I started singing along to the modern renditions of the old classic Beatles songs that completed the soundtrack. I hadn't bargained for a musical- silly me. But it kept us both extremely entertained- Reid laughed so hard at my impression of 'For the Benefit of Mr. Kite' that I thought he was going to start crying._

_The last song before the credits, however, was my all-time favorite, because it declared what was so clearly true. _

_"What, I don't get a free concert for this one?" He asked, when I didn't start belting out the lyrics, in a purposely-off-pitch voice like I had for the rest. I shook my head shortly._

_"I just want to listen. This is one of my favorite songs." I said shortly, so I could go back to listening._

_Suddenly I was on my feet, with no idea of how I got there. Then I was spinning and swaying, and I realized a beat late that Reid had pulled me up to dance. His hand was light on the small of my back, his other held mine tightly._

_His breath was light on my ear when he leaned his cheek down next to mine. His voice low and intense._

_"All you need is love, love… love is all you need."_

I was brought quickly out of my stupor by a loud screeching noise. Suddenly the steering wheel was yanked out of my hands. I shook my head and whipped over to look at Nahuel, who was currently glaring.

"I never exactly learned how to drive, but isn't it a safe bet for me to guess that we're supposed to stay _on_ the road?" He asked, and I shrugged sheepishly. It wasn't like a little fender-bender would have hurt either of us.

"My bad." I muttered, turning down the main street of Ipswich. It was getting hard for me to breathe again… how was I ever, _ever_ going to explain this?

I knew they would more than likely be at Nicky's; it was, after all, Friday night. Though the small, dingy bar was perhaps my favorite place in the world, it still took all of my will power to even open my door.

Nahuel lightly slung his arm over my shoulder, though we hadn't kept in contact over the years, he still seemed strangely familiar- which was nothing but welcoming in my current state of depressingly perpetual loneliness.

If I didn't get a hold of myself soon, I was going to pass out.

Pulling myself together, I lightly tread up the old stone steps- clutching Nahuel's hand in mine as though it was the only thing keeping me from going completely bat-shit crazy.

The old wooden door creaked, and a blast of smoke-filled air and loud music met us. Although I still felt sort of faint, the strangely welcoming warmth of the bar calmed me considerably. I couldn't _not_ feel better with the immense sense of belonging that always greeted me here.

Nahuel did not share my sense of relief however; he tightened his hold on my hand. I felt half bad that I was throwing him into the modern-American party scene with no warning, but it really couldn't be helped.

I immediately caught sight of the very full, very depressing looking table my friends and I normally claimed. The occupants were perhaps the only people in the place that looked like they would rather be somewhere else.

"Here goes nothing." I muttered, dragging Nahuel with me- glad that we'd jacked some normal clothes from a thrift store. We looked like we had walked out of a seventies fashion magazine, but at least we didn't look like we had been hiking through the rainforest for the last week.

Sarah seemed to feel my stare, and her head snapped up before I was close enough to start apologizing. The glare that met me was one of the harshest I had ever seen. Looked like the fun was about to start.

Surprisingly, she slid down from her stool, offering no explanation to her boyfriend or friends, and skirted the many dancers. Stomping past me, she grabbed my wrist, and yanked me toward the door.

Her sudden movement jarred me, and I dropped Nahuel's hand. He silently followed me as I was dragged out into the ally. She quickly turned toward me, I had my back against the brick wall, and I honestly thought she might throw a punch.

She looked possibly too mad to speak. I sighed. "What. The. Hell." Was all she managed to spit out.

I took a deep breath. "I know, I'm in trouble. Are you honestly surprised? Seriously Sarah, I'm so sorry, from the very bottom of my heart." I said, filling my voice with all the sincerity I could.

Her expression didn't clear. "What heart?" She asked viciously.

Ouch.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. She may have been entitled to that, but it still hurt badly to hear her say it so quickly. She didn't feel the need to wait for me to recover.

"You _disappeared_. You made promises to all of us, and chose your werewolf buddies that have done nothing but lie to you over honoring those promises. Do you have any _idea_ what you put everyone through here? We are a family Renesmee, we welcomed you into it- and you threw it away like it was nothing. You don't deserve a second chance- not after what you've done to Reid and Tyler." She said, balling her hands into fists.

It had started to rain, and we both began to shiver. Nahuel stood silently, looking ready to interfere if needed- but he had wisdom enough to let us argue this out as long as nothing got violent.

Trying to keep my teeth from chattering, I formed as good a sentence as I could under the circumstances. "I'm not asking for acceptance, Sarah. I'm not even asking for understanding. All I wanted to do was let you know how very sorry I am. I counted you all as family too.

"I wasn't going to put you all in the middle of a fight that none of us would have survived." I said slowly, digging my nails into my palms. Ever since speaking to Sam, I hadn't been able to completely warm up. The freezing rain only added to the torturous cold.

I pushed on. "All I knew from my dreams was that this… thing wasn't going to stop, not until so many people were dead, children, wives. An entire tribe wiped off the Earth. I didn't see any way out of it, and I couldn't sit and do nothing either. I had to find a middle ground, and it hurt me to do it too- please, believe me." I said, and clenched my jaw, before I broke a tooth shivering so hard.

There was water running through her blonde hair, but it was easy to see that it was not just rain that streaked down her face. She furiously wiped at her cheeks. "It's really… damn it Rainy. Why are you always so infuriatingly selfless? You're sixteen, you're _supposed_ to beg for your friends' help. We all _wanted_ to help you." She said, continuing to glare, though she wasn't half as angry as she had been moments prior.

That was the first time she had ever used my relatively new nickname. I began to tear up as well, though I did not bother to wipe them away. I was completely soaked regardless, from my woven green headband to my long sleeved purple tie-dye peace sign midriff shirt, all the way down to the authentic bell-bottom jeans and bright blue Chucks.

"I know, they also wanted to help me with Chase, and we all know how well _that_ one went over." I said with a hiccup and a little chuckle. She couldn't help but laugh too, though I could see she hadn't entirely let me off the hook.

"Yeah, but last time you at least let me and Kate in on it. So we weren't _all_ freaking out." She said pointedly, no longer glaring.

I nodded. "I guess I just got a little… hasty in my decision making. When Jake called… I don't know, I just stopped thinking about anything but saving him. You have every right to hate me." I said softly, internally cursing when I realized my fingers were all but numb.

Finally she laughed for real. Throwing her arms around my neck, she choked out, "how could I hate anyone that dresses like that?" I giggled, hugging her back.

"What, hippie isn't back in style yet? Darn it, I picked up the wrong magazine again." I joked.

"Not to interrupt, but now that everyone is friends again, may I suggest we return to somewhere a bit… dryer?" Nahuel asked, quirking one dark eyebrow, and looking pointedly at the door that led into the smoky hot bar.

Sarah stiffened, her expression hardening again. Apparently she had forgotten that I had not shown up alone. "Okay, the leaving, I forgive you for… mostly. But really? You brought a guy back? And it couldn't even be like, Seth? Haven't you-" she began to ask, but I cut her off.

"Put Reid through enough?" I finished for her. "I really don't know how many more times I can be accused, even indirectly, of cheating on him before I snap. I haven't, I'm not, and I won't. This is Nahuel, the only other living Guardian. Nahuel, this is Sarah, my roommate." I said, making the introductions as quickly as possible. I was beginning to really like his idea of going back inside.

Her mouth dropped open, clearly this was not what she was expecting. A sly smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. "Nice to meet you, I'm sorry for any trouble I have caused by being here." He said.

She stuttered in reply, obviously struggling with coherency. Apparently she was discovering first hand how charming vampires, even half-vampires could be when they so wished.

"Hi… it's ni-nice to me-meet you t-t-too." She said. I laughed, and grabbed her by the arm, fully intending to pull her back inside. I stopped dead when I was facing the door, mostly because my heart had stopped beating in my chest.

My eyes filled immediately with tears again. Sarah, I could handle her anger. But my heart, and my nerves had been through so much recently that I didn't know if I could take his rejection on top of it all.

"Uh… Na-huel? I think we should go back inside now." She said, slipping out of my slackened grip and gently brushing past the blond boy standing in the doorway. Nahuel gave me a hard look, I knew he could sense the change in atmosphere, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Can you give us a minute?" I asked him, trying to convey that there was, at least, no physical danger. I felt my cheeks burning, and there was no way I was getting through this with an audience.

He dipped his head once in agreement, and gracefully slid through the dark doorway, back into the crowded bar.

I wasn't even sure I could make myself look Reid in the eyes. I didn't deserve anything but a very brutal break-up. "Reid I-" I tried to start, but my voice cracked twice, and my breath caught in my throat.

And then my back was against the brick again, and my head was spinning. The world fell away, none of it made sense anyway- and none of it really mattered. Electricity ran through my veins once again, heating my body from the inside, chasing away the terror and the chill.

His lips caught mine roughly, his body pressed against me tightly. One of his hands had both my wrists pinned above my head, the other was on my bare hip, pushing me back into the wall even harder.

Catching my lower lip between his teeth, he caused me to nearly faint again, only this time it was the most amazing feeling ever. They weren't lying about the fireworks. Instinct kicked in, and I tore my wrists free, throwing them around his neck and pulling myself closer.

I hopped lightly, wrapping my legs around him, letting myself forget that we were, in fact, in a dark ally behind a bar. Not that I really cared- I wasn't the most conventional girl in the world.

The rain hadn't let up, and for once it was probably a good thing. I started to shiver again, and it brought Reid back to his senses. He lightly set me on my feet, but pulled me into his chest. I buried my face in his wet t-shirt, holding on to him for dear life.

I felt so safe, safer than I had in a really long time. This was right.

His arms were tight around me, and he dropped a light kiss on my rain-soaked hair. "Let's get you back inside, before you freeze to death." He said, his voice reverberating through his body.

I pulled back, just enough to catch his icy eyes. "Wait… at least give me a chance to explain myself." I pleaded, though I was starting to freeze.

His lips landed on mine again, this time gently. "You don't owe me an explanation Rainy. And I'd really like it if you'd let me take care of you now that you're back. We can talk later- somewhere dry maybe?"

Did he really just say that I didn't need to explain? He was kidding, right? I didn't even know what to make of it all. My eyes filled with tears again, "B-b-but.-" I stuttered, trying to at least apologize.

He sighed, keeping his arm around me, but lightly pulling me around the building toward the parking lot. This confused me, and I stopped shivering for a minute. "Aren't we going back inside?" I asked, somewhat clearly.

He gave me a condescending look, though the spark in his eyes gave him away as always. I marveled that he really wasn't mad at me. "I don't think you can really handle talking to Tyler right now, do you?" He asked pointedly. "We'll have a meeting tomorrow morning, right now, we're going back to my place." He said, no question in his words.

Usually that kind of attitude irritated me, but I was so tired of being in charge. I nodded, and gave him as grateful a smile as I could muster. He pulled open the door to his Chevy, and let me in.

Moments later he was behind the wheel. "Wait," I said, as he threw it in reverse after turning on the heater full-blast. "You haven't been drinking, have you?" I asked, wondering if I could even drive if I wanted to at this point.

I got a dirty look as reply to my question. "Do you really think I'd drive with you in my car if I had been?" He asked. My cheeks warmed, and it wasn't from the car's amazingly fast heating system.

It didn't even cross my mind until we were in his driveway that I had forgotten something, or rather, someone. "Shit." I muttered. "We have to go back- I can't _believe_ I forgot about Nahuel."

I couldn't tell if it was amusement or annoyance in his expression, and I was too exhausted to figure it out. "Sarah will take care of him, I'm sure she'll take him back to school. Don't worry about it." He said, pulling me up the driveway.

It was relieving to see there were no other cars here. I didn't have to ask- Reid's parents spent more time in Europe than they did in their own home. When we got inside he pushed me toward the huge pristine bathroom.

"Go, take a shower." He said, pointing. I didn't argue. As much as I didn't want to lose any time with him, I was still shivering, and a hot shower sounded amazing.

Fifteen minutes later I wrapped one of the plush warm towels around myself. I didn't know what I was going to do for clothes- it wasn't like I'd ever made a habit of sleeping anywhere but my own room.

He was way ahead of me. He had left a t-shirt and shorts out, though he was nowhere to be seen. Pulling them on quickly, I toweled through my wild hair, knowing it was going to be impossible in the morning.

I made my way toward the kitchen, guessing I'd look there first. I was right.

He pressed a mug of hot chocolate into my hands. "Warmer?" He asked.

I set it down on the counter and wrapped my arms around him, laying my head so my ear was over his heart. "You have no idea." I said, the chill of the spirit world finally just a memory.

His hands rubbed my arms lightly. "I think I might." He muttered.

I pulled him out of the kitchen with one hand, grabbing the mug from the counter with the other. He let me drag him to the huge living room. I sat down on the couch, yanking him down next to me.

I crawled up onto his lap, holding the hot chocolate with both hands. "Okay, now we're both dry, and warm, and I want to explain." I said resolutely. It didn't matter what he said, he deserved the truth.

"You don't have to. I know you were just doing what you thought you had to." He said, tightening his arms around me. I could hear the slight pain in his voice, though it was well hidden.

"I want to. I was doing what I thought was right. That doesn't mean I should have done it. At least not the way I did. I never meant to cause that much trouble. I mean, I saw the whole thing with my parents—why did you defend me like that?" I asked, remembering Caleb throwing him into Jasper, who just so happened to be my scariest relative.

"You _saw_ that? Why do you think? I know you Rainy- the kind of person you are. I love you for it. Tyler and Caleb were both wrong, and I wasn't going to sit there and let them start so much shit over it." He said, and I could hear the sincerity.

I sat the empty mug on the floor and turned around, so I was facing him. "Can I show you… what's going on? I'm so tired of being alone, please?" I asked, hoping my request made sense.

He kissed my forehead lightly. "Don't ever think you're alone. You aren't getting rid of me that easily." He said with his signature smirk back in place. I took it as acquiescence.

I laid my fingers lightly on his face, and let the story flow through. I started with the day in the woods, when Jake and I argued all the way through the shadow taking me to see Sam, and him leaving me with Nahuel. It was the best explanation I could give him.

My eyes had closed, concentrating on details. I left out our nearly week-long trek back into the country- it was too exhausting to even think about. When I let the images drain out at last, I opened my eyes, hoping to be met with the extraordinary acceptance that I had somehow been graced with all night.

The acceptance was there, but it was nearly overpowered by something else. If I hadn't known Reid better, I would have said it was fear. Suddenly I was no longer sitting on his lap, I was on my back, and the electricity was sparking through me again.

I had never had much in the way of self control, but apparently Reid's had slipped, his mouth was rough, his hands everywhere. It was like wildfire. I gasped, and for once it didn't pull either of us back to our senses.

Finally the intensity made me pull away. We were both breathing heavily. Reid collapsed lightly, and rolled over so I was laying with my head on his shoulder. "Sorry. I couldn't really help myself, not after seeing how close I was to losing you." He said, his fingers tracing the tattoo on my hip.

I snickered. "Nah, I would have had to come back as a ghost and haunt your ass." I teased. He smirked.

"Is that supposed to be comforting or frightening?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess it's as scary or comforting as you make it." I said. "Just like everything else." I paused. "Reid?" I asked hesitantly.

He raised an eyebrow, inviting me to continue. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to be so easy on me."

His fingers had stopped their tracing on my hip, and his arms were now wrapped around me. "Right, because you haven't been through enough in the last two weeks." He pointed out.

I laughed. "Welcome to my life." I said. He rolled his eyes. I reached up to kiss his cheek, and then let my head fall back to his shoulder. "I love you." I reminded him.

We both fell asleep on the giant leather sofa, and for the first time since before Chase, I was able to sleep without nightmares.

Morning came too soon. Although it had been the best sleep I had gotten in over a month, I was still tired, and still nervous. Deep down I knew Reid was going to be nicer to me than I deserved. Just as, deep down, I knew Tyler was going to tell it like it was. He was going to be brutally honest- and I deserved every second of it.

I held Reid's hand tightly in mine, as he all but dragged me down the stairs to Caleb's basement. This was the usual meeting place, though I couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. Last time we all got into it down here, they all found out I was a vampire, and then locked me and Kate and Sarah in the Colony House.

Everyone was waiting for us, of course. No one said a word, until Reid had flopped down in the unbelievably comfortable armchair in the corner, pulling me onto his lap. Nahuel was standing silently off to the corner.

Not that I had a problem being there, but I wanted to get the hardest part over with. I knew once Tyler and I had fought it out, one way or another, we'd all be able to move on.

I climbed off Reid's lap, he stiffened, and I could tell it took him some effort to let me stand up and walk away. I made my way slowly to where Tyler was sitting on the counter that surrounded the small kitchen-area in the faux-apartment.

"Can I talk to you, please?" I asked, gesturing upwards. It was eerily silent in the basement, and I didn't want an audience for what was coming. I couldn't read the expression in his eyes-which was a first.

I could feel everyone's eyes on my back, as Tyler jumped down. He didn't even give me another glance, just headed for the stairs. I took a deep breath, refusing to make eye-contact with anyone else in the room before following him.

He stopped in the study, and I got another wave of de ja vu. This was where Kate and Sarah had talked to Seth for the first time. It all seemed like a million years ago.

"Ty, I'm not asking for forgiveness, okay? Just the chance to say that I'm sorry." I said. From the beginning I had thought Tyler's reaction would be the most frightening. And I was right, just not in the way I had expected.

Tyler was crying. I was mortified. I had no idea what to do. It wasn't like he was bawling, but he was definitely crying. My mind couldn't come up with any sort of an explanation, so I let my instinct take over.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him closer, throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him. We stood like that until it was uncomfortable, and then we both sat in front of the fireplace, that was jumping with cheery flames.

"Don't ever do that again." He said, looking at the flickering fire instead of at me.

I nodded. "You know, outside Nicky's… I didn't mean what I said. I love all you guys. It's just, when I get scared, I tend to push people away, especially the people closest to me. I guess, after everything that my parents went through with always putting each other in danger—I never wanted to do that to anyone else." I said, as way of explanation.

He smiled, but it was not his normal, adorable, happy smile. "I know, but really Rainy, we would have rather been fighting with you, even with the possibility of not surviving, if it meant that we didn't have to sit around feeling helpless." He scolded.

I snorted. He finally looked up at me, obviously not expecting my reaction. "What, so we can all feel helpless together?" I muttered. "Ty, this isn't something we can fight. I don't know what I'm supposed to do- I came back to ask for help." I said, and I knew that he understood what it cost me to admit that I _needed_ help.

"What kind of help?" He asked warily. He knew me too well.

I sighed. "With this." I said, letting my eyes bleed into black. The fire turned blue, green, and purple before fading back into orange. "I don't know what I'm doing with it, and I need a handle on it before I can even think about facing this shadow."

There was shock on his face. "Shit, why does Caleb always have to be right?" He groaned. "This power is dangerous Rainy. How much have you…?" He asked, trailing off.

"Well… every time I have to face off with the darkness- it's the only way I've survived this long. And then once or twice when I was with Jake, just to prove a point. It's hard not to now." I said quietly.

His head fell back against the chair he was leaning against. "Damn it. That's not a good thing." He said shortly.

"What else is new?" I asked. He shot me a dirty look, before thinking about it for a minute. Shrugging, he stood, and offered me his hand. Pulling me up to my feet, he headed for the stairs.

"We need to go talk to Caleb, now." He said. I was tired of being in charge. I let him lead the way, hoping that someone else would take over.

When we reached the circle of silent people in the basement, he lightly shoved me back toward Reid, who looked extremely relieved—that is until Tyler had to go and be blunt. "You're stupid girlfriend is just as bad as you are. She's got herself addicted to the Power now." He said, climbing lightly back up on the counter and smirking at me.

I stuck my tongue out. "Thanks, Ty-love you too."

* * *

**so... the next chapter will be more important as far as the whole fighting to save the world thing goes, but i hope you enjoyed the reunion chapter!! and don't worry, Caleb's reactions are yet to come. Review!!**

**and no, Nahuel is not done playing a part yet :)**

_**preview:**_

_"Oh you have got to be kidding me. Ghosts?"_

_"Don't tell me you don't believe in them."_

_"Do I have a choice? Now all we need is Frankenstein and some fairies."_

_"You wish."_


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so first let me apologize for the wait on this. I'm having serious writer's block all of the sudden. I know where I want the story to go, and every time I've tried to continue it, it just turns out horribly. Which, regrettably means that the "preview" for the next chapter is pretty much void (I swear I've written at least three versions of the next chapter, which will be titled Old Magic, after the title of the fanfic, and therefore a very important chapter). Sorry. But I'm hoping this one will help me get back on track with this story.**

**So here's a big thanks to **_**teenrockstar **_**who suggested I should do this- it honestly hadn't even crossed my mind before now.**

**I like writing Renesmee's point of view, because it's easy to make up scenarios and play through scenes when the main character is one that no one really "knows". When writing from a well-known, and well-loved character's perspective, there are more rules- more things that limit where you can take that character, based upon their previously established personality. **

_**Anyways**_**, lol. That's why I didn't ever really think about doing this before- but it sounds like a good idea right now, so enjoy!**

**Sorry for the length of my Author's Note, I tend to babble, obviously.**

**Review!!! Disclaimer in Chapter Two!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

Old Predictions

(Bella's POV)

I had never kidded myself that the peace would last. Obviously the rest of my family had. I knew from the get-go that we weren't going to be able to live happily ever after- not for an eternity.

But I played along- Everyone seemed so _happy_. I was happy- completely blissful. But it didn't take long for the reality to crash back down on me. There was no way my daughter hadn't inherited some of my knack for getting into trouble.

When Alice had first suggested that we let her "be human", Edward's reaction astounded me. I thought he'd jump at the chance to surround her with humans; that ate real food and looked their real ages.

I guess the part of him that would always be Renesmee's father was just as prone to overreaction as the rest of him. He thought she was going to get herself into some sort of dangerous situation, especially on the other side of the country, and he wouldn't be there to swoop in and save her.

He had been even more overprotective of her since Jake had left that last time. I didn't know what it was that was after him, but I did know that I trusted him. As much as I would deny admitting it to anyone else, I could at least admit it to myself. I trust Jake with my life, my family, and my heart- my daughter.

He had earned that much, hadn't he?

And I knew Edward trusted him too, if we got down to the real point. The amount those two went through- almost all of it my fault- had forged some sort of a bond, that though they would never exactly pal-around, they had come to instinctually back each other up.

For which I was grateful. Jake was my best friend, and would remain so forever. And though it had bothered me at first, I grew to appreciate the ties he had to Renesmee. I could tell that he really did do everything with her best interest in mind, and if I honestly thought about it, there wasn't anyone I would rather have my daughter with. I knew Jake would take care of her.

Carlisle had played a huge part in convincing Edward that Ness should try a year away from home. He and Alice had personally gone through hundreds of boarding schools, before deciding on Spencer.

It didn't take too much extra effort for Rosalie to pull me on board, so to speak. As much as I loved Alice, Rose and I now had a sisterly bond that the friendship between Alice and I never reached.

Part of Rose's reason for being so happy about the boarding school business was that she hoped it would pull Nessie away from things that reminded her of Jake. If anyone hated him, it was Rosalie Hale. She had been ready to rip him to shreds the last couple of times he'd come to town, and she wanted Nessie away from his "dreadful influence", as she put it.

I didn't fear for my daughter's safety. If she had survived having Emmett as an uncle, the humans weren't going to do her any physical damage. Edward and Jasper had both raised her with a good understanding of self-defense. Against other things, more dangerous things in my opinion, there was nothing we could do anyway.

Jake had hurt her when he left. I knew he was really protecting her- but I had been her, once upon a time. I knew how badly it hurt for someone that promised to be there to turn and walk away.

Real human interaction might just have been the right thing to distract her. Let her think about other boys, make new friends, and most importantly, learn to really be a teenager- though we may have been a decade too late on that last one.

Plus, Alice and Jasper promised to go keep an eye on her. They knew New England better than anyone, and they were more than capable of babysitting, as they proved in Phoenix... insert ironic statement here. But seriously, my daughter was smarter than I had been at seventeen, or so I hoped.

Anyway, it sounded like everything was going well for a couple months. Deep down I knew that she wouldn't be visiting as often as she had promised. I tried to tell myself that it was a good thing.

She was obviously having fun, from what I could understand from our frequent phone conversations, she had made some very good friends- even a boyfriend. I knew Jake would not take kindly to that, but maybe it was just good for her to have someone to make her laugh, while Jake was off fighting his demons.

But then we got the call. The call that nearly ripped our family apart at the seams. Jasper and Edward still weren't speaking to each other, even more than a week later. Alice was even mad- she hated being the "last" to know anything.

Caleb Danvers seemed like a good kid. Very responsible, very mature. That didn't stop it from almost turning into a complete fiasco when he tried to explain to us what had actually been going on in the nearly two months that our daughter had been away.

Edward did not handle meeting his little girl's new friends very well. Something told me Alice had foreseen this sort of thing, and had added it to the list of reasons why we should allow Nessie to attend Spencer alone.

I did, however, relate well to Caleb's girlfriend. She somehow reminded me of myself, putting love above everything, including staying alive. When she requested that we return home to sort out the werewolf issue, well, I could hardly say no.

When I heard that Renesmee had gone after Jake, of course I was terrified- but I wasn't surprised. If I knew anything, it was that she was unstoppable when she made up her mind. She was like her father that way.

So I knew that until she wanted our help, we were not going to get an ounce more information out of her. Case in point, she had handled this 'fifth Son of Ipswich' all by herself, without doing more than tricking a story or two out of Jasper.

I just had to continue to tell myself that she would, at some point, let us know that she was alright- and hopefully fill us in on the large blanks that we were now all obsessing over. Edward did not agree with me completely on this, but I think he has started to see that there is just no other way to look at it… at least not without going crazy.

We were all back in Seattle now, in the large Victorian house that Esme and Carlisle had bought just three years prior. It was far enough outside the city that there were no nosey neighbors- and by this point we were all pros at this game we had to play.

Renesmee had grown so fast, that we had to continually move, changing names, social security numbers, and stories. We had managed to stay in the state of Washington, however, as Jake had it hard enough without the added stress of a long run between Nessie and his pack.

The pack that was now about to go completely postal and start a mini-civil war. From what we could derive from our talk with Sarah, the pack blamed us for whatever was going on. Not that they shouldn't, but I had hoped that the foolishness between vampires and werewolves had ceased long ago.

Seth was AWOL too- and it seemed even Leah had disappeared. Our allies as far as the wolves went were vanishing. The situation scared me more than the fact that I did not know where Nessie was. At least Nessie was with Jake, the most skilled fighter I knew.

I also knew there was no way my family would be able to go up against the wolves. After all the times they had come to our rescue, there was no way any of us would be able to turn on them.

Sitting in Carlisle's study, I jerked back to reality when I heard the others return. I had not accompanied them when they went to meet with Quil and Embry- those two still blamed me for… well, everything.

I raced down the stairs, to meet them at the door. "So…? How'd it go?" I asked anxiously.

Edward wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulder. "Not great. But better than we thought. They still don't know anything about where Jake, Seth, and Leah are, but they seem to have calmed down a bit."

I nodded, pulling him into the large living room. The others followed. Jasper and Alice had taken off again- doing their own research about what we now believed may be after Jake and the rest of his pack.

Which was probably for the best, considering that Jasper and Edward could hardly stand to be in the same room, and that Alice and Edward weren't exactly pleased with each other either.

Emmett groaned, pulling Rosalie down on the couch next to him. "Those dogs don't have a clue. I say we-" Rosalie not-so-discretely elbowed him in the ribs. Which accomplished nothing, but did make him shoot her a dirty look and pause mid-sentence.

"We are not going to go chasing disgusting werewolves all over South America. Just because Jacob Black wants to waste his time, doesn't mean we should waste ours. And next time Nessie contacts us, we demand she gets back here. Who knows? Maybe whatever is after the wolves will actually do its job, and will save us a lot of nuisance later." She said primly, ignoring my glare.

Carlisle sighed. He seemed tired, which of course isn't possible. "Rosalie. You owe them. We all do. But… we more than likely will not accomplish anything by tracking Jacob Black through the South American rainforests. I do, however, have another idea." He calmly explained, producing a small cell phone from a pocket.

"Brilliant." Edward muttered. I rolled my eyes. Almost twenty years later and it was still irritating.

My phone suddenly buzzed, playing Clare de Lune. "Alice?" I asked, after a cursory glance at the caller ID. I pressed the button lightly that would put it on speakerphone.

"Hey Bella. Just checking in… Hey everyone." She said after a pause.

"Sweetheart, have you and Jasper figured anything out about what is going on here yet?" Esme asked, sitting lithely down on the sofa next to Rose and Emmett.

There was a sigh, barely perceptible over the receiver. "Not really. The wolves have guarded their secrets well. Jake doesn't want us to know, obviously."

Edward had never been one to use bad language much, but even I flinched at the hiss of expletives. "No…really? What _do_ you know, Alice?" He snapped. I glared at him, us being angry with each other didn't help the situation one single bit.

"Look, I think this whole thing is way over our heads. I know that's a hard concept to believe, but seriously. This _magic_ is on a completely different level." Alice said, and I could imagine the look on her face that matched the tone of her voice. She was obviously running out of patience.

"Really?" Carlisle asked, eager in his I'm-nearly-four-hundred-years-old-and-still-learning-something-new-every-day way. "Whose level?"

"Nessie's." She said curtly. I felt my husband stiffen next to me, and I squeezed his hand before he could say something else that would only make the situation worse.

"This Guardian thing is totally legit. If anything can survive this new power thing, it's her. She's got some serious fire power once she figures out how to use it." Alice explained, and she seemed somewhere between terrified and excited. Of course.

Emmett grinned. "That is one awesome kid." He joked. I thought Edward was going to jump on him and start one of their epic fistfights that went nowhere. "Whoa, calm down, I just meant that Nessie is going to figure this out. She'll be fine!" He said, tensing up, in case Edward didn't take his sort-of-apology.

"Why haven't we heard of this before, do you think?" Esme asked, seeming puzzled.

"Because the last one… well there hasn't been one in a very long time." Alice answered. It was my turn to tense up. What did that mean?

"Care to explain?" Rose asked, looking only half-interested. As long as we weren't going to have to hang out with werewolves, she was happy.

"Not particularly, no." was the reply.

"Alice…" I half-whined.

"Oh, fine. Just don't kill the messenger. The last one disappeared in the fifth century. It was almost the end of the world, literally. Guardians are like… conduits of other types of magic, and this one tried to control too much power at once.

"The magic, or whatever, used the Guardian instead of the other way around, and it nearly wiped everyone off the face of the Earth. Nessie should probably just… be careful?" She finished.

"Total destruction. Awesome." Emmett muttered, even he didn't find any humor in the situation.

Well, one thing was for sure. There was nothing we were going to be able to do to stop Judgment Day, if my daughter was already who-knows-how much more powerful than us already.

How did I know that I had just enough bad luck to end the world?

* * *

**so... how did y'all like the insight into the Cullens' lives? I know that this wasn't exactly Edward-friendly, but i really tried to be nice!! (i have an issue with him, lol) anyways... i hope i did okay with Bella's POV, make sure to review and let me know what you think so i can get back to the real part of the story!! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so sorry again for the wait. This chapter gave me lots of problems, and i eventually ended up splitting it into two chapters so you guys have something to read while i work out the rest of the kinks. It's not nearly as great as I'd hoped it would be, but hopefully it's not terrible either. Make sure to let me know what you think- it might help me write faster!! ha ha.**

**_~wwsadd  
_**

Old Legends

I had never been a fan of fairy tales. Fairy tales were full of princesses that had no brains, in my opinion. I mean, if someone wanted me dead, I wanted to face them myself- not have some dummy swinging a sword and trying to ride a horse come "save" me.

Or so I had thought. But maybe I wasn't as brave as I had always thought. Maybe I had been kidding myself. Because right now all I wanted was someone to save me. Too bad that person didn't exist.

True, I had my Prince. Right now though, I was halfway wishing that we had never met. I couldn't believe that I had dragged him and his friends- my friends, into this mess. I didn't see a way out of it, and I knew they weren't letting me go at it alone, not again.

What would happen when I wasn't strong enough? Was I really going to be the reason the Sons of Ipswich got wiped off the face of the Earth? Somehow, even if I was dead, I knew I was going to feel guilty for the rest of eternity.

Of course, the other half of me was clinging to the fact that I wasn't alone. I don't know what I would have done without the arms that held me tightly.

He hadn't been so happy with Tyler's little remark- I thought he was going to start yelling, but he just pulled me close and held me tight. It was official, I didn't deserve him.

"So… how is this going to go down?" Pogue asked idly, seeming almost disinterested.

I shrugged. "Between Nahuel and I, we should stand a chance… I hope." I said, glancing over my shoulder at my traveling companion, whom had undoubtedly been feeling out of place.

"You do know what could happen, right?" Caleb asked, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. It was what he did when he was beyond stressed out. I sighed.

"Yes. I understand. But unless you have a better idea…" I trailed off.

"How do you get yourself into these messes?" he muttered.

I laughed, causing everyone to look up at me, startled. "If I remember correctly, _you_ got me into the last mess." I pointed out.

"Touché." He replied, with a ghost of a smile.

He got heavily to his feet. Then he beckoned to me. I climbed out of Reid's grasp, giving him as reassuring a look as I could manage.

"Alright. Hit me with your best shot." He said with a sigh. My mouth fell open.

"Uh… what?" I asked. I hoped he didn't mean what I thought he meant.

I got a condescending look in reply. "I want you to Use." He said slowly. I groaned.

"You asked for it." I mumbled. I closed my eyes, waiting for the Power to spark to my fingers. I didn't open them- I didn't want to see the destruction I was causing. Throwing my hands out in front of me, I heard a crash.

Startled, my eyes snapped open. Caleb was on the floor, on the other side of the room. "Shit." I said, hopping quickly over to him. "Sorry." I apologized, helping him to his feet.

"Jesus." He said, bravely shaking it off. "That answers _that_ question."

I held my breath, wary. "What question?" I asked. "Whether or not I can kick your ass? Yeah, but I could do that without your stupid Power." I muttered under my breath.

He smirked, the amusement in his eyes more wicked than normal. "It's good to have you back Rainy- no one tells it like it is quite like you do." He said, playfully shoving me back toward the chair Reid was still sitting in.

I stuck my tongue out at him, lightly climbing back into my former seat. Reid seemed almost shell-shocked at my display of power. I guess he hadn't quite grasped the severity of the situation just yet.

"You're avoiding the question. What does that prove? Besides that I'm a total badass?" I snorted, trying to be glib so this whole fiasco would seem just a little less scary.

Caleb sighed, plopping back down next to Sarah, who looked nearly as stunned as Reid. She quickly reached over to take his hand. "It just means that you have a better shot than I thought you did." He replied.

"Well thanks, I feel so much better now." I said, rolling my eyes after shooting him a semi-dirty look.

"But seriously, me being able to Use your power… it helps, but it's not enough. I can keep the shadow from killing me- for a period of time anyway- but I can't do anything offensive with it. Unless there's something I don't know how to do with it… which was my biggest question for you guys." I explained.

"What if you had more of it?" I heard Tyler say quietly. He had been sitting silently since our return to the living room/basement- like thing. My gaze shot quickly to his, and in that instant I knew what he was suggesting.

"Hell _no_." I snapped, my voice nearly squeaking with anxiety. "There is no way that I would… that's just not…" I couldn't even finish my sentence. My heart was about to stop beating at the very thought.

"What are you two on about now?" Pogue asked, making me realize that no one else had been as quick to grasp what Tyler had said.

My stomach was still churning. "He thinks I'll have a better shot if I steal _more_ of your Power." I bit out, seriously feeling like I might throw up.

"It's not stealing if I _offered_." He snapped back. I gave him the dirtiest look I could come up with, although I'm sure the panic that was bubbling in me at the very thought ruined it. There was no way I was killing him for this-the world could go ahead and end for all I cared.

Kate's mouth had dropped, as had Sarah's. Okay, at least _they_ agreed with me. The boys all looked speculative though. I groaned.

"Do. Not. Even. Think. About. It." I said severely. "That would make me no better than Chase. Besides, even if it wasn't suicide for you guys, we have no idea how the whole power-burnout works for me anyway. I could turn to dust just by flicking the lights on and off." I pointed out- angry that they'd even consider it. It seemed like a cop-out somehow.

"But-" Tyler started. I cut him off.

"What are you going to do anyways? Will me your Power? We have no idea what that would even do. I willed mine to Chase, not the other way around, remember? So forget it." I said, trying to put an end to any planning they had started to do on that front.

"O-Kay. So… Nahuel, what's your deal?" Kate asked, after a full two minutes of deafening silence. My old friend stepped into the center of the lavish room. The expression on his face told me that he had stopped trying to process what was going on at this point.

"My deal?" He asked, confused.

"She means she wants your life story, but I don't think that we have time for that- what are you, three hundred?" I said lightly. He grimaced.

"I'm from South America, sixteen years ago, a little, rather frightening vampire showed up at my door, demanding that I help her save her family. Vampires don't usually have families- something about being bloodthirsty. I was intrigued though, so I followed this vampire to the rainy Pacific Northwest." He began. His voice fell into an ancient story-telling cadence- an art that I'm sure was lost long ago.

I had never gone into detail with my friends about what had happened when I was a baby- not because I didn't remember it- because it was a long story that pulled up painful memories and caused lingering nightmares.

"While we ran, which I'm sure you realize by now is our fastest mode of transportation, she told me of her unique family. She said they were vegetarians of a sort, that they lived in as much peace as possible with the surrounding humans- trying not to be monsters is how she explained it." He continued.

"She went on to tell me of how her brother fell in love with a human, a real-life Romeo and Juliet. They had ten times the trials of a normal human couple, or a normal vampire couple, for that matter. But they had made it, gotten married, and she was asking to become of vampire herself… until-" He paused, shooting a pointed glance at me.

I stuck my tongue out. "I came along and complicated their existence- surprise surprise." I sighed.

"Wow, so things haven't changed much in sixteen years huh?" Pogue asked. I looked around for something to throw at him, but there was nothing within reach, and I was way too comfortable to move.

"Bite me." I muttered. Everyone laughed at that.

"Can we get back to the story now?" Sarah asked, having curled up next to Caleb. That girl was like a toddler with a bedtime story when it came to this supernatural stuff.

"A very very long time ago, there were some vampires that got it into their heads that they wanted vampire babies. The way they went about doing this was taking young children and turning them. These children never reached maturity, because, for a vampire, the age you were turned is the age you stay." He explained.

There was silence for a moment. "That's terrible." Kate said finally, with a shudder.

Nahuel nodded. "Even our 'royalty'- the rulers in the vampire world- saw the horror in it. They outlawed it; any vampire that turned an infant would be destroyed- that was the law. These vampires, they are called the Volturi. Just pray you never cross paths with them. They are millennia old, and in our world, it's their way or the high way, so to speak."

"So, as it was, they got word of a young vampire child. They were outraged- who would stand against them? They already had a personal vendetta against the Cullens, personally we believe it was because they knew that Carlisle Cullen had done something they had never been able to, by starting a family and living like humans." He said, his voice carrying on lyrically.

Reid had shifted, I was now curled up on his lap, my head on his chest. His heartbeat was a comforting sound, and I was almost ready to fall asleep.

"They set out immediately from Italy, bringing a guard that was nearly a hundred strong. With one purpose only, to destroy the Cullens and the child they had created." He said thematically. I had to suppress a giggle. He really was an amazing storyteller.

Everyone's eyes were wide, Reid's arms tightened around me protectively. I yawned. It wasn't to be funny, it was because I was still exhausted, but Nahuel cracked a smile. It was obvious that the Volturi didn't succeed, or I wouldn't be sitting here making their lives hell.

I picked up where Nahuel left off. "There were tons of them." I said slowly. "On our side and on theirs. Carlisle had called every vampire that he had helped in the past to stand up to the Volturi. So many came. They were everywhere, and they all had special abilities. I remember one, I think his name was Ben… he could control the elements… fire, water, earth and air. It was seriously cool." I remembered.

"When the Volturi showed up, it was like a civil war battle just waiting to happen or something. Everyone lined up stupidly to face each other head on. First my family tried to reason with them, to tell them the truth. But Aro Volturi would not listen. It came so close… Close enough that my mother had basically handed me to Jake and told us to run for it." I said, my voice going hard at the vivid memory.

Nahuel looked surprised. "I never knew that." He said. I shrugged.

"Jake was my mother's best friend, too. She knew that with the circumstances the way they were, he'd have the best shot at getting us out alive. She had even gone and gotten forged passports and social security cards, she told us to head for Rio. Hoping that Alice would be there or something." I told him, knowing that no one else would get what I was saying, but not really having the energy to explain the e_ntire_ story.

"Well it's a good thing you guys waited." He said lightly. "Alice wasn't in Rio." He pointed out. "Anyway, we show up, proof that Nessie wasn't one of the fabled vampire-babies, and was just a baby that happened to be half vampire. So the Volturi had no choice but to drop it. Which didn't go over well, but we counted it a victory none the less." He finished.

"So there are scarier vampires than your aunt and uncle?" Sarah asked, eyes wide.

"Uh… yeah. But don't worry, they don't go out to hunt, they order in. Just stay away from Volterra, Italy, and you won't have anything to worry about." I told her.

"You mean we won't have vampires to worry about. We still have to figure out what to do about the shadow." Kate reminded us. I groaned, snuggling deeper into Reid's embrace.

"If only there was a way to beat it that didn't entail you or I turning into a shadow too." Nahuel said, dropping lithely to the floor and folding his long legs. "As I understand it, those are our options right now."

I nodded. "As far as I can tell, those are the only options. I mean, maybe it'll be enough, maybe by working together, we can overcome it." I said, trying to sound hopeful, but failing miserably.

"Perhaps. Give me a couple hours, I want to check on something, and we can make a plan of action from there." He said, climbing back to his feet and moving silently for the exit.

Everyone had watched our exchange silently. "What are the odds, really?" Sarah asked. Caleb gave her a sharp look.

"Not great. Unless he knows something I don't." I said, gesturing after my companion. "It would be so helpful if there was still a Guardian around that knew how this whole thing worked. I mean, all I have to go on is information from thousands of years ago." I sighed.

Ty's eyes lit up. "Brilliant." He said, suddenly grinning. It seemed to take Caleb a minute, but he then he was on his feet. I glanced at Tyler again, an expression on my face I usually only used around him. One that sort of said 'tell me or die'.

He was so excited that it took him a minute to explain. "Our Power may not be able to stand up to this shadow- but it can summon the souls of the dead. You wanted to talk to a Guardian, well _that_ we can help you with." He said with relish.

* * *

**Sooo... review? please? You know you want to know what happens next :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**So it was pointed out to me that I always update on the thirteenth… NO that was not on purpose, and definitely kind of freaky- way to notice the weird stuff!! Ha ha.**

**And I am very very Team Jake. Obviously- Edward is a walking cliché and I've personally always thought Jake seemed like he had more feeling to him than Edward.**

**Just you know, in case anyone thought i hated him because of the way i treat him in this story. i don't, i love him!!**

**Anyways, here ya go!!**

**_~wwsadd_**

Old Magic

The boys insisted that they need a couple of hours as well, to figure out exactly how they were going to summon a Guardian. That left me and Sarah and Kate with nothing to do.

"So… How was seeing Jake again after all this time?" Kate asked, perched on my desk, with her feet swinging lazily. We had returned to Spencer to "relax" for a while, as the boys had basically demanded.

I sighed. "It's hard to explain. He's exactly the same as I remember. He's still my best friend… but I don't know. It's like I changed so much that the entire foundation of our friendship is gone.

"Don't get me wrong; it was amazing to see him again. It was just… I don't know, depressing? At the same time." I replied, curling up on my bed. I had pulled on my favorite pair of sweats and a hoodie that I'd stolen from Tyler. Now that Reid wasn't here, I was starting to get cold again.

Sarah raised an eyebrow from her place sprawled on her own bed. The room looked like it hadn't been lived in at all for the last couple weeks.

"Depressing? At least he's alive, right?" She pointed out.

I shrugged. "For now. He's just so intent on following all of the rules all of a sudden. He doesn't see that his 'Ancestors' or whatever are just playing with him. They knew he would fail." I said, my voice getting harsher in my anger.

"So much for 'good werewolves'. What did you do when you left? I mean, shouldn't Seth be here freaking out again or something?" Kate muttered.

I shook my head. "They probably think I'm being held for ransom or something. When the shadow came… I don't know, all they would have seen is it taking me. I could call them… but what are they going to do besides get themselves killed?

"Believe it or not, I think they are safer there, running around pointlessly in circles- trying to find answers that are right in front of their faces but that they are too stubborn to see." I said, continuing in what Alice would call a mini-tirade.

"Maybe. How much better off are we here though?" Sarah asked, and I could tell that she had not meant it as an insult, but out of curiosity.

I closed my eyes, trying to find the peace that was so elusive lately. "I'm just hoping we all survive at this point. I'll worry about specifics later." I murmured.

"And your parents?" Kate added, as an afterthought.

"I don't know. Frankly I don't know anything at this point. We are quite literally at square one right now. But I'd rather not pull them into this. If they knew anything else, they would have come up with a solution by now." I said, trying to be convincing.

"What… exactly happened?" Sarah asked after a few minutes of suffocating silence.

I took a deep breath. "I caught up to Jake… In the rainforests of Columbia. I think I was just so relieved that he was alive, that I didn't even worry about what he was doing there.

"We traveled for days. I got fed up- He still treats me like a child, like someone he's obligated to take care of, and I finally snapped. I said some things to him that were mostly uncalled for… and then the shadow showed up." I explained, trying not to get choked up at the weight of my actions that was currently crashing down on me.

"The shadow… it spoke of the Ancestors, like Jake had. Said that I should offer them something they couldn't refuse. At the time all I could think about was saving Jake and Seth. So it dropped me, I don't know, in the spirit realm or something. The Ancestors told me that if I could defeat the shadow, a long shot even by their reckoning, I would achieve the peace that my mother has been trying to attain for the last two decades.

"It was like ice, the spirit realm. So very very cold. I asked Sam, the Ancestor I talked to, lucky me, to take me to Nahuel. I explained the situation, and he offered his help. And… now we're right back here- wondering what the hell we're going to do. I'm beginning to see a pattern." I joked, feeling only the most desperate form of humor.

Kate grinned, Sarah giggled. "Well life is definitely more interesting with you around."

"Gee thanks." I muttered, chucking my pillow at Sarah, who was still laughing.

"Are you sure you don't like, have a great aunt that's a fairy or something? Three wishes would be way helpful right now." Kate quipped.

I rolled my eyes. "That would be a genie. And besides, fairies are mean. You're thinking of the fairy godmother from Cinderella- hate to break it to you, but that was a gross imitation by a bad artist." I replied.

Kate looked offended. "_You_ don't believe in fairies?" She asked, nearly outraged. "Can you say _hypocrisy_?"

I giggled. "In four different languages. And I didn't say I didn't believe in them, just that they would be very non-helpful in this situation." I said, laughing for real this time. I laughed even harder at the looks on their faces.

Neither one could tell if I was kidding or not.

An hour later we were in my Porsche. I didn't feel well, and was letting Kate drive, breaking one of my personal rules.

"Isn't this the part where you come up with some brilliant top-secret plan?" Sarah asked from the backseat.

I not-so-discreetly gave her the finger. "I'm actually fresh out of brilliant ideas. I think it's your turn."

Kate chimed in. "Yeah Sarah, we better not let her come up with the next plan, who knows how much more trouble she's gonna get us into?"

I wasn't sure if I was shocked or not. "What's that supposed to mean? You guys _asked_ to help, remember?"

Kate shrugged. "I was referring your complete lack of self-preservation. I can't believe you've been Using."

"Yeah, Reid's gonna freak the hell out later. Just FYI." Sarah added.

"What else is new?" I grumbled, glad for once when Kate shifted to Park and the dark exterior of the Colony House hovered threateningly ahead.

We slipped single file down the creaking old stairs. I followed Sarah, who was following Kate. When we made it down to the dark carnivorous room, I shuddered. Shadows were more threatening now than they ever had been before.

Not to mention, the last time I had been _here_, I had been fighting Chase.

The flickering light of the candles threw strange shapes on the walls. I berated myself for being such a pansy. I took a shaky breath. It didn't help.

So I gave up trying to be brave and flung myself into Reid's arms instead. They wrapped around me tightly, as he dropped a kiss lightly on the top of my head. "Miss me?" He asked.

I just hugged him harder. He pushed me away enough to look at my face. "Hey, you okay?"

Shrugging, I internally fought against the severe fight or flight mechanism that was screaming at me to get the hell out of this place. Something here was very very evil.

Reid pulled me toward the stairs, while throwing a cursory glance back over his shoulder at his friends. "We'll be right back." He said, tugging me up the steps before anyone had a chance to respond.

When we got to the front yard, he led me to Ty's Hummer- that I assumed they all arrived together in. Pulling the keys out of his pocket, he unlocked it and opened up the back end.

He sat down, patting the spot next to him. I pulled myself up next to him, curling into his side. "Rainy…tell me what's wrong. Please?"

I didn't know how to begin. Everything was wrong. And the dark underside of the Colony House seemed to bleed with the dangerous darkness I had been running from for what seemed like ages.

"Reid, do you ever wish that you'd never met me?" I asked, staring resolutely at the trees of the nearby forest. That hadn't been what I had meant to say, but it was too late to take it back.

"What?" His voice was as sharp as the crack of a whip. There was a millisecond of silence before he reached over and cupped my face between his hands, forcing me to look at him.

"Look at the mess I've made. Don't pretend that I haven't been making your lives hell from the moment I walked into them." I said shortly. This was not what we should be talking about right now.

His eyes flashed, something I wasn't used to seeing. It wasn't so threatening as it was startling. "The only time you made my life hell was when you walked _out_ of it." He said, his voice nearly a snarl.

My breath caught in my throat. "But-"

"Don't." He snapped. "We'd be dead if it weren't for you. None of us were strong enough to stand a chance against Chase. And you brought us together… Caleb and I couldn't be in the same room before you and Sarah became friends. Nothing bad that has happened is _your_ fault."

Stupid tears. I sniffled. I couldn't entirely agree with his words. The shadow would not darken their doorway if I had never led it there- no pun intended.

"Maybe it isn't directly my fault." I conceded. "But it's still a huge problem. A problem that wouldn't be _here_ if not for _me_."

He used his thumbs to gently brush my tears away. "I'd rather you be here with me and have the apocalypse on your tail than to even think that you are out there alone, trying to figure out a Power you never should have been cursed with." He said, his voice and eyes going hard.

I tried to laugh, but it came out sounding sort of strangled. "The Power I can handle… I just don't know what I'm supposed to do now- every option we have seems to be going from bad to worse."

His hands did not relax their grip on my face. I took comfort in the safety that I always found with him. "We can get through this Rainy, I promise." He said, and sealed that promise with a kiss.

"Just stay with me okay?" He asked, jumping up from the back of the Hummer and pulling me with him toward the house, his arm still pinning me tightly to his body.

When we made it back down to the dark eerie room, our friends went silent. "What did you guys do?" I asked, trying not to sound harsh, but the suffocating feel of evil hit me like a brick.

"We evoked the ancient magic of the Covenant… we're about to summon a Guardian." Ty said, raising an eyebrow like he had been expecting a thank you.

"If I hear the word 'ancient' one more time, someone is gonna die." I muttered. "Whatever you did, this room reeks of evil."

Sarah and Kate both visibly stiffened. The boys did not, which made me believe that they felt it too. "Do you want to do this or not?" Ty snapped.

I glared at him. "No." I decided. "Something is telling me this is a really bad idea."

Caleb closed his eyes leaning his head back defeatedly. Pogue groaned. I could feel that Reid had stopped breathing next to me. Tyler started laughing. But it wasn't right. It was harsh, ominous.

Kate caught on quicker than I did. "Damn it you guys didn't wait for us?" She asked, exasperation and irritation both evident on her face.

I felt my own eyes widen. I pulled out of Reid's grip, stumbling into the middle of the room. He made to grab at me, but I glowered at him. I dared him to take a step toward me. I thought my friends were supposed to be advocates of good magic- but suddenly it felt like they had summoned the devil, and worse, had no qualms about it at all. I had no right to feel betrayed, but I was scared out of my mind, and angry that they would be this stupid.

The suffocating feeling doubled. The flames of the numerous candles grew, streaking up into the darkness.

Instead of a shadow, it was like a malicious wind had picked up. The books flew off the shelves, the dust of a hundred years swirled like a twister on the Prairie. The force of it picked up until it literally had my friends pinned to the walls.

"What the hell is this about?" I screamed, still in the center of what I could only assume was the summoned Guardian's unnecessary display of power. Without a second thought I summoned Chase's Power.

I felt my eyes bleed to midnight, and then flame over, as I tried to still the incessant wind. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but those seconds felt like decades as my energy was slowly sucked away. It occurred to me that I might die, right here, if I ran out of strength.

The furious wind stopped suddenly, and I couldn't help but fall to my knees. I expected my friends to rush over; to panic like would be normal- or normal for us anyway. But I heard nothing.

I could barely lift my head from my hunched over position. I struggled to move, and finally forced myself to look around, wincing at the pain that shot through my over-exhausted muscles.

It would have been comical if it hadn't been terrifying. It seemed as if they were attached to the walls, with invisible ropes or something. No one seemed to be able to speak, although there was horror in everyone's eyes. The boys were struggling against the invisible bonds, but they were no match for the magic they had summoned.

A chilling voice spoke from the darkness. I'd had about enough of body-less voices. "Ah. A young tutore." It said, in an accent that was not even vaguely familiar.

As much as I wanted to climb to my feet, as hard as I was fighting, I could barely keep from falling all the way to the floor. "What is your damage?" I managed to spit out.

It laughed, sending shivers down my spine. The darkness finally began to congeal into the form of something that looked human. But only if I cocked my head and squinted really hard.

Her ashen face was sunken, her grey eyes swam with malice in the flickering candle-light. I would have to guess she was no older than me- but the feeling of  
overwhelming evil was millennia old.

"My… damage? I made the mistake you are about to repeat." It hissed. "You may think yourself strong- and you are. You may think yourself brilliant. You are that too. You are quick and brave- everything we as a race once were. But we are not indestructible.

"We bleed. We can be overcome, by greed, by hunger, by lust. By fear. Fear of losing everything- fear of losing ourselves. Fall to that fear, and it is not only your own death sentence you sign.

"Our purpose is to protect. But sometimes we must say no. We must protect others from ourselves. I did not heed that rule, the most sacred of our laws. And for that, I almost destroyed the world. It is exactly what will happen to you when you attempt to take in a power you can not hold.

"Heed my warning young one. The fate of the entire world depends on it." And with a last hiss, it disappeared in a whisp of smoke.

I used the nearest stone chair to pull myself weakly to my feet. My vision blurred from the effort it took. My ears barely registered the dull thud, as my friends were released from their magical bonds.

The door at the top of the stone steps flew open, and suddenly Nahuel was in front of me. "What just happened?" He demanded. "The evil was tangible from miles away."

I tried to nod, but ended up falling forward, clutching at him, to keep from falling to the hard floor. His strong hands grasped at my shoulders, holding me upright. "Nahuel, we can't do this." I whispered.

* * *

**so... now what? oh yeah, i should probably know the answer to that huh?  
review if you want to know too :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**This whole speed update thing will probably never happen again. Just a heads up, lol. **

**The first few paragraphs are Kate, because I felt like describing what happened when Rainy blacked out at the end of the last chapter. It's not necessary to the story, so if you want to skip to the page break and just read Rainy's PoV from when she wakes up, be my guest.**

**This is a chapter that I'm really unsure about, but it addresses an issue that I couldn't completely leave out. And besides, it's an awesome Rainy/Tyler friendship chapter. **

**Sorry for the length of the author's note!! Hopefully the length of the chapter makes up for it (longest chapter yet, over 6,000 words!)!! Reviews are loved!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

**Warning: this chapter contains an extreme amount of bad language. Just a head's up, you'll obviously see why.**

Old Demons

(Kate's PoV)

Sarah always told me I was good at this weird stuff. And I try, I mean, try finding out the guy you've been dating since freshman year of high school has super-scary almost-demonic powers and see how you react.

But I decided after what happened with Chase that it was an all or nothing deal. I made the choice- the choice to stay by Pogue's side, the choice to face the unknown. It was that or completely forget about him, forget about Chase, and pretend the world wasn't spinning wildly off its axis.

And I couldn't do that. So here I am, a mere mortal facing the never ending stream of evils being thrown at the Sons of Ipswich. I take the trade, willingly- but man is it exhausting.

I scrambled back to my feet as Nahuel charged down the stairs. He looked pissed.

Caleb and Reid both leapt over to where Rainy was pulling herself to her feet. Tyler was right behind them. Pogue grabbed me and pulled me into his chest, I felt his heart beating a mile a minute.

The next thing I knew, Rainy had collapsed against Nahuel.

"What the fuck man!" Reid hollered, rounding on Caleb. Great. Here we go again. "Like she hasn't fucking been through enough?"

Caleb was glowering. "This wasn't my idea Reid. It was hers. None of us knew what would happen- it was a risk we all decided to take, remember?"

Tyler immediately turned into the peacekeeper. Gotta love that kid. "Both of you knock it off. We can argue later- we have bigger problems right now." He snapped. Well, maybe not the kind of peacekeeper he used to be, but hey- this was probably more effective.

The youngest Son of Ipswich turned to our newest friend, who was now sitting on the stone steps, Rainy had obviously passed out, and he had her cradled like a child in his arms. "If you couldn't tell, that royally backfired. Do you have any other ideas?" he asked.

Nahuel looked serenely at each of the boys. "I could have told you that would turn out unfavorably. The last Guardian was overwhelmed by the power she tried to control. It destroyed her, it almost destroyed the world."

Caleb rubbed the back of his neck exhaustedly- a trait he'd had since we were little. "I guess it could have been worse then. At least it didn't stay for long. We're going to have to wait for her to wake up to know what it told her… unless someone caught it."

"All I caught was that this was probably one of the worst ideas _ever_." Tyler muttered.

"No, ya think?" Pogue snapped.

"What do we do now?" I asked, knowing that every second Rainy didn't wake up meant that something was even more wrong.

Reid had dropped to his knees next to Nahuel. I could tell that he wanted to pull Rainy from him, but he made do with just taking her hand. He answered me without looking at me.

"We forget about the whole business. Let the wolves take care of their own, and we'll take care of ours." He said, and I could tell that he was focusing everything he had on getting Rainy's eyes to open.

Nahuel made a noise in the back of his throat. "You forget. She does not belong to you. The shadow is after her because she belongs to Jacob Black." He said. There was a note of finality in his voice that sent a shudder down my spine.

It took a moment for his words to hit me fully.

* * *

(Rainy's PoV)

The first thing I heard was lots of yelling. 'That's more like it.' I thought to myself. Finally they're panicking about the deep amount of shit we are in.

I was aware that there were arms around me, that my face was pressed into someone's shoulder. The scent slowly registered in my brain. I struggled with my eyelids. My body didn't want to give me control back- I was shut in my own mind, with nothing but the ghost-girl's words to keep me company.

_  
Destroy the world_

I fought with my unwilling body, trying to take back control. Every muscle ached, and there was ice in my veins again. Even my fingernails hurt- I finally understood why the boys hated this Power so much. It really did destroy a person.

Finally I was able to force my eyes to open. The candlelight was too dim to see much by. But I could see that everyone was angry.

"You lie." Reid snarled. His eyes weren't trained on mine, but he was facing me. A beat late it registered that he was arguing with Nahuel. The anger I had feared since returning to Ipswich was finally making its appearance.

"Me?" Nahuel replied, furious. "Are you out of your mind? What do I have to gain by being dishonest?" He asked incredulously.

The boys were in their customary circle; Kate was sitting next to Nahuel, her eyes watching my face unwaveringly. Sarah had pulled herself up in the stone chair that Caleb was standing threateningly in front of.

It didn't even seem like they were arguing about the shadow, or the recently discovered ghost of my heritage. It didn't make any sense… why were they all mad at each other?

I mean, there's anger, and then there's fury, but this was like, a step past that.

Kate interrupted the intense atmosphere. "How do you feel?" She asked, reaching over to pull my wrist free. She seemed to be counting in her head for a minute.

I laughed, and it tore at my throat. "Like I got hit by a truck." I answered, struggling to sit up. "Is everyone else okay?" I asked, wondering what exactly had happened to them while I had been having my lovely conversation with the Guardian.

I was trying to figure out why Reid still looked like he might honestly kill someone. Moreover, why it looked like that someone might be me. He looked… betrayed?

I didn't understand. What reason did he have to be angry with me, I mean after he forgave me for the whole field trip to South America thing. He said everything would be okay as long as we were together, but right now it looked like he never wanted to see me again.

"Define 'okay.'" Tyler snapped.

I glared right back. Great, now he was mad again too. I thought we already settled this. "Seriously you people have to stop doing this, you're giving me whiplash. Why is everyone mad at me _now_? You're the ones who summoned the _evil_ spirit." I pointed out, struggling out of Nahuel's grasp, so I was standing, however precariously, on my own two feet.

Tyler stepped forward until his face was inches from mine. I raised my face up, as he was a good five or six inches taller than me. "Is this a game to you?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" I asked, outraged. "Who just got their ass handed to them? Oh yeah, me. Why? Because you had to go and summon an evil ghost that almost killed us all. That doesn't count as fun in my book."

"I didn't mean today, I meant for the last two and a half months. Is this just some sick way to pass your time?" He asked, not backing down.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air. "If I remember correctly, I was doing just fine before you guys come barging in with all your magic and your psychotic long lost brother. You pulled me into this Tyler, not the other way around!

"If I had never had to fight Chase, I never would have found out about being a Guardian, I never would have had to run off to South America, I never would have made a deal with a bunch of dead Indians that I would get rid of their… _pet_. I didn't ask for this Ty!

"Did you hear me complain? No! You know why? Because for some inexplicable reason you people are worth it. We're all here now, and we all just have to deal with it! If you want to walk out, the door is that way." I finished, pointing to the staircase.

There was a shell-shocked silence after my little rant. Tyler didn't move an inch, although there was something I could only identify as humor in his eyes.

"Told you." He said, looking past me to Nahuel, who hadn't moved. A grin split across his face, but faltered. I turned to see what he was looking at, and caught a glimpse of Reid's back, as he made it to the top of the stairs and slammed the wooden door shut behind him.

"Somebody tell me what just happened." I said shortly. No one met my eyes. "Now!" I snapped.

Nahuel sighed. "I told them the truth." He said simply. I raised an eyebrow, inviting him to continue. "Want to clue me in as to what that might be?"

"About Jake." He said, looking at me like I should immediately know what he was referring to.

"Uh… okay? They already knew about Jake- what did you think they thought this whole mess was about?" I asked, my headache doubling with the pressure from trying to figure out what in God's name just happened.

"So is it true or not?" Pogue asked, the only one except Kate who didn't look pissed off. He merely looked curious.

I groaned, falling heavily into the nearest stone chair. "Is what true?" I asked softly. The now-familiar pressure behind my eyelids warned me that I was about to bawl, again.

Sarah spoke up; she looked like she was in dream-world. "You. And Jake. As… a couple." She said simply.

I started to laugh. I laughed so hard that I thought my stomach was going to burst. "Me and Jake… together?" I managed to gasp. "What the hell would give you that idea?"

Sarah pointed at Nahuel. I whipped around to look at him. Again, not a good idea. I really needed to take it easy.

"What would give _you_ that idea?" I asked, completely dumbfounded. I was still giggling.

"You don't… you never…? I mean…" Nahuel seemed to be struggling for words.

"You aren't in love with Jacob Black?" Kate asked bluntly.

I thought my chin might hit the floor. "Of course I love Jake. Like a brother. He's been there since the day I was born… he's part of my family—I don't know, I always thought of him as my guardian angel or something." All I got was a bunch of blank stares.

I had no idea what was going on, but I decided that I was officially in an alternate universe. How could they think I would play them all like that?

"Are you all nuts? He's twice my age!! He's in love with _my mother_." I continued incredulously.

Tyler laughed, plopping down next to me in the stone chair and slinging an arm over my shoulder. "I told you she was ours." He said smugly to Nahuel, who still looked shocked.

Belatedly something occurred to me. "Are you saying that Reid just stomped out because he thought I was cheating on him with _Jake_?"

Pogue shook his head. "No man, he thought you were cheating on Jake with _him_." He explained. Kate shot him a look.

"What's the difference?" She asked.

I sighed. "Aw hell." I said quietly, staring at the floor. Reid would see a huge difference.

Ty pulled out his phone, hit the speed dial, and held it to his ear, keeping his other arm around my shoulders. It seemed to ring forever. Finally it hit his voicemail. "Seriously man, call me back. You know that was bull- and Rainy needs you." He said, and flipped the phone shut.

I threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Ty."

There were a few moments of silence. "So… where do you think he went?" Sarah wondered idly.

Pogue's grin was gone. He sat down on the edge of his stone seat, clasping his hands together. "Nicky's." He said shortly.

Caleb nodded morosely. Tyler was looking resolutely at the wall. "Reid has an addictive personality, if you hadn't noticed. He stopped partying when he met you, but something tells me he's probably three shots past gone at this point." Pogue continued.

My heart hurt at hearing that. I scrambled to my feet, yanking Tyler up too.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked, jumping up as I stepped past her up the stone stairs.

"Nicky's. It is a Saturday night." I pointed out.

When we made it outside, Ty's Hummer was still parked next to my Porsche. "How did he…?" I began to ask.

Caleb gave me a pointed look, letting his eyes flame over. I groaned. How did this happen? Nahuel must be out of his mind- and really persuasive. Or Reid just had no faith in me whatsoever. I hoped it was door number one.

After everything Reid and I went through in the short two months of our relationship, it seemed unreal for it to all go to hell over Jake. I thought my boyfriend understood me better than that.

We made a quick stop at the dorms, so I could grab a pair of jeans, which I changed into in the car, while speeding toward the bar. No matter what the situation, sweats were not acceptable at Nicky's. We left Nahuel in the room, there was sure to be enough fighting tonight.

The smoke of the bar hit me hard, and I inhaled deeply. Funny how comforting that had become. I loved this place, and my panic calmed as I stepped foot inside.

My eyes went first to the bar, but I didn't see Reid among the throngs of people waiting for drinks. Nicky was standing there as always, talking to some of the regulars. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearly ten p.m., no wonder it was so packed.

The second place I looked was the pool tables-which were strangely empty.

"We're gonna go grab the table." Pogue said, pulling an exhausted looking Kate with him. Sarah grabbed Caleb and followed. Tyler was scanning the crowd, like I was.

"I'm going to check the alley, you okay here?" He asked, nodding toward the back door. I smiled as best I could.

When his back was turned I hugged myself, shivering slightly even though it was sweltering in the bar, and I was still wearing Ty's hoodie. "Well well well… What do we have here?" A voice I would pay money to never hear again said from behind me.

I spun around, trying to ignore the effect it had on my head. "Fuck off Aaron." I snapped.

"Oooh, kitty's got claws." He drawled, taking a step closer. "Did Garwin get tired of you already? Too bad, I warned you, did I not?" He asked, the smug smirk still on his lips.

I wanted to hit him, again. But I wasn't about to cause a scene. I'd had enough drama to last ten lifetimes. "Seriously Aaron, don't you have other people to irritate?" I asked.

He shrugged. "None of them are quite as sexy as you are though. On the bright side, now that that jerk-off has moved on, so can you." He said suggestively, snaking his arm around my waist.

His words chilled my heart. "Excuse me?" I asked sharply.

He grinned, using his hand on my hip to spin me around. With his other he pointed to the middle of the crowded dance floor. Leaning down so his mouth was nearly touching my ear, he whispered. "Lover-boy found a new toy."

My eyes welled. A scantily clad girl with medium length auburn hair was grinding on _my_ boyfriend. My very intoxicated boyfriend. His hands were all over her. My breath caught in my throat for a minute. He never danced with me like that—I don't even think that was considered dancing.

I threw up a mental wall, not letting the scene before me touch my heart yet.

I refocused my attention and shoved Aaron away from me. "Screw you."

He snickered. "That can be arranged babe." I glared, contemplating. Then I slapped him with as much strength as I had.

"You wish. But guess what, it's never going to happen. I don't date scumbags, and I certainly don't screw around with them." I snapped, and stomped off toward the safety of the table that Caleb and Pogue were sitting at. I had no energy left if Aaron decided to come after me.

"Could have fooled me!" He hollered. I growled under my breath. That kid was so lucky I wasn't in any shape to put him in the ground. Because I _so_ wanted to.

"Was he bothering you?" Pogue asked, alerted by Aaron's yelled insult.

I rolled my eyes. "When is he not?" I asked.

"I don't see Reid anywhere." Sarah said, glancing around the dimly lit bar again.

I bit down hard on my bottom lip, a habit my mother had, that I never imitated unless extremely upset. "I found him." I said, glaring at the grain in the wooden table.

"Where?" Caleb asked, tensing and scanning the bar area.

I pointed to the dance floor. "Dancing with the skank." I said bluntly. Sarah's eyes widened.

"Fucking dumbass." Pogue cursed.

I shrugged. "Let's just go, okay? I can't handle this right now, and he's probably in no shape to have this conversation either. Let's leave him to his fun. Somebody grab Tyler, I'm gonna go wait outside." I suggested.

"Rainy…" Kate started.

I shook my head. "Seriously. Let's go."

I hadn't let it hit me yet, and I didn't want to be anywhere near people when it did. My vampire reactions hadn't been put to this test yet, and I was dreading it. Caleb stood, for a moment he looked like he was going toward the dance floor, but he veered and went to get Tyler instead.

I ran after him. "Don't tell Tyler anything until we get back, please?" I begged, knowing we wouldn't get the youngest Son to leave if he saw his best friend now.

Caleb sighed. "Rainy…"

"Please?" I asked again. He gave a discouraged nod.

"We'll meet you outside." He said, pushing open the door to the alley. I turned back to see Pogue, waiting with the girls. When I neared, he pulled me under the arm that was not holding Kate's hand.

"Let's blow this joint." He said, pulling us toward the parking lot. I concentrated on my breathing. I needed to get away from this place.

When Ty and Caleb made it to the parking lot, the youngest passed the keys to the eldest. "You drive." He said, climbing in the backseat with me, Kate, and Sarah. As we hit the highway, I leaned my head against Tyler's shoulder, willing myself to just keep breathing.

"It's okay Rainy. We'll find him." He whispered, pulling my hair out of my face and giving my shoulder a squeeze. Sarah opened her mouth, but thankfully my reflexes were unharmed, and I was able to clap a hand over her face before she said anything.

She glared. Tyler gave us a 'you've lost it' look. I tried to smile. Unfortunately my strength was completely gone. She grabbed my hand and shoved it away. "Reid was in the bar Tyler." I groaned.

Ty stiffened. "Why didn't anyone grab him?" He asked. "That was why we went out tonight in the first place." He reminded us.

"He was a little busy making out with Kira." Kate growled. Caleb pulled the Hummer up and parked it at his house.

"My mother is out tonight. We can all stay here." He said calmly.

Tyler wasn't so calm. "What!? We have to go back and…"

I tugged on his arm. "Please Ty, just lets forget about it for tonight." I could hear the desperation in my own voice.

My face must have looked really bad. He shut his mouth and nodded once. He pulled me out of the Hummer, keeping one arm tightly around my shoulder. When we made it into the foyer, Sarah automatically made for the basement.

"Don't you think we should talk about this?" Kate asked, causing Sarah to pause.

I shook my head vehemently. "Not tonight. I'm sorry, I just can't handle this right now. Can someone please just direct me to a room preferably far, far away from everyone else?" I asked.

"Uh… why?" Pogue asked. Kate smacked him.

"She hates us, duh." She said, turning to wink at me. I tried to laugh.

"Vampires are unstable when angry. Just want you guys out of the line of fire." I muttered exhaustedly.

"Oh." Pogue said, earning another smack from his girlfriend.

"Come on." Tyler took my hand and led me toward the grand staircase. "We'll see you guys in the morning." He told the rest of them.

"I'm serious Ty. The minute I let my guard down, things are going to _break_." I warned him.

He gave me a dirty look. "I'm a big boy Rainy, I think I can handle it."

"The last time I checked everyone was still referring to you as the baby." I muttered, letting him drag me along nonetheless.

The guest bedroom he led me to was huge, the bed alone was nearly as big as me and Sarah's room at Spencer. Tyler's eyes flashed, and the sweats that I had left in his car miraculously appeared in his hands.

For some reason this sweet gesture lit the match that burned down my emotional wall. I started to shake, not only because my body was so worn out, but because my heart felt like it was shattering.

Ty tossed the sweats on the bed and pulled me into the circle of his arms. "Shhh. It's okay Rainy." He whispered. I grabbed the front of his shirt, trying to calm down.

I ended up sobbing anyway. "No it's not." I managed to choke out. "I can't do this by myself Ty." I said, my voice cracking at the end.

The youngest Son of Ipswich gently led me to the edge of the bed. "Hey- come on now. What am I? Chopped Liver?" He asked, brushing my wild hair back out of my face again.

I giggled through my tears, though I was still shaking. "No. You're my very best friend." I said, burying my face in his shoulder again. He smelled like spring. Like a thunderstorm that brings everything back to life after the dead of winter.

I felt more than heard his gentle laugh. "Oh really? And what would Jake have to say about that?" He asked. I pulled back, glaring.

"Jake just ruined the only thing I had that was keeping me going. Some friend." I muttered, knowing that it wasn't really Jake's fault at all. Nahuel had just somehow been misinformed.

And I still loved Jacob Black. That would never change. He was my protector, my guardian. And I was still going to do everything I possibly could to save him from his demons. I owed him that—my mother owed him that.

Tyler called me on it, as I knew he would. "You don't mean that."

I sighed. "No, I don't. It's not his fault; I know that, really, I do. I just don't want to have to blame myself for this when I don't even know why it happened." I said, wondering if my words even made sense.

As soon as it had come, my self-pity evaporated, replacing it was a burning anger. This was what I had feared. My reactions were not human, no matter how human my soul was.

I shoved myself off the end of the bed, striding over to the window. The moon hung low in the sky, it was the color of blood. "Why doesn't he trust me Tyler?" I asked, the fury making my voice tremble.

He stayed where he was, a wise choice on his part. "Jake?" He asked, sounding confused. I rounded on him, desperately trying to reign in my anger.

"No! Reid! I can't believe he didn't even wait for an explanation! He always just assumes that I'm lying to him!" I yelled.

Tyler sighed. "I think he just gets scared Rainy. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone. But he can't believe that you really want to be with him, and I think, deep down, he was just waiting for this kind of thing to happen—for you to prove him right." He said gently, calmly.

I slammed my fist into the marble of the window ledge. Part of me wanted to jump out the fourth story window. I felt the Power surge through me, raw and rough after my exhausting day. The window shattered, my knuckles throbbed.

"Fuck. So you're saying he just never listens to what I tell him? You have no idea how many times I have told him that he's the one for me. I love him Tyler! And he what? Thinks I'm kidding?"

My voice was too loud, I knew I needed to calm down. But that knowledge really wasn't helping all that much at this point. Tyler took a couple measured steps toward me. "Look, Reid was always the one who could get any girl he wanted with a single look. When he said there was a line of girls that would pay him, he wasn't kidding. He was like, a god at school.

"And that was exactly the way he wanted it, no expectations, no responsibility. It was who he was- he never did the whole commitment thing. You knew that when you met him. He's new at this."

I spun so I was facing him. "So? It's not that complicated Ty, he just has to trust me. Like I trusted him until tonight!" I cried. "I can't believe he would…" I couldn't even finish.

Dancing had been our thing. Since the very first night, it was a big part of us being together. And to see him dancing _like that_ with someone else… It was killing me on the inside.

Even in all my anger and despair I could appreciate Tyler Simms' patience. But I guess growing up with Reid probably had a lot to do with that. "That's not fair Rainy. You didn't see the look on his face when he left this afternoon. He thought the only person he really did trust besides his brothers, the person that meant more to him than anyone, had just been stringing him along for kicks. Reid isn't used to being the vulnerable one." He pointed out.

I took a deep breath. There were so many things I wanted to retort with, but I bit down on my lip, not letting them escape.

Tyler waited for my reaction before continuing. "I'm not saying what he did tonight was right. It wasn't, and I will be the first one to tell him so tomorrow. Just know that he didn't do it to hurt you, he did it because it's his defense mechanism, and his life is falling apart right now."

"Oh, well maybe he should join the club." I snapped.

He laughed. "Yeah, well we're all in that club right now. And I think it would help a lot if we left the arguing until the morning and just got some sleep." He said, pretending to yawn.

I laughed too, feeling the sting of the anger in my veins run out. I stumbled back to the bed, grabbing the sweats and changing into them without warning my friend. At least I was wearing cute underwear.

"I vote we don't tell Reid about this." Tyler joked, keeping his eyes trained courteously on my face.

I giggled again, climbing into the massive bed. "Why not? Maybe we'd be even then." I joked. He groaned. "Oh I'm just kidding. You know that day that I was fighting with Caleb?"

Ty rolled his eyes. "Which one?" He asked.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I hate you. The one where I said I was going to back to Seattle and he said I couldn't? And then Reid got all mad at me and left?" I asked.

He nodded, pulling himself up to sit on the bed next to me. "Yeah, we totally talked about you guys behind your backs after you left." He said with a quick grin. I shoved him playfully.

"Well he was upset about me being in your room that night. But not because he thought we were messing around. He thought it just proved that you were the 'better man' he told me I should dump him for you." I said, creating quote marks with my fingers.

Tyler's chin dropped. "No way? Well we were way off…" He muttered. I rolled my eyes, not even really wondering what they had thought we'd been fighting about. "Was he out of his mind?" He continued after a minute.

I shrugged. "That's what I said. But, you see what I mean? It's always seemed to me that he was trying to convince me that we were wrong together. Like, he always had to point out that he was a failure at love. If anyone had cause to be insecure, it was _me_." I told him quietly.

It seemed that my friend had nothing to say to that. He opened his mouth and then shut it again. When he finally did speak it made me laugh again. "He was seriously deluded enough to think that you and me… Geez. What an idiot."

"Gee thanks Ty, love you too." I said sarcastically.

He smirked. "You know I love you. You're like an extremely irritating little sister… that I couldn't live without." He said, ruffling my hair.

I yawned, letting the exhaustion finally pull me under. I rolled over and rested my head on Tyler's shoulder again, inhaling his calming scent—I thought again of how it smelled like rain. A smell that would always tell me I was home.

"You really think we'll be okay?" I mumbled, closing my eyes, willing myself not to cry again. The powerful mood swings were even more tiring than I thought they would be.

"It'll all work out—you guys are meant to be together, no matter what he says. He loves you, and love always wins in the end."

"Thanks for saving me Ty." I muttered, letting sleep take me.

That night my dreams were not plagued with shadowed uncertainty for the future, but with the strangely clear hindsight of the past.

_  
"Hey Nessie!! Wait for me!" I giggled, running along the rough rocks that lined First Beach in La Push. I was staying with Seth and Leah for the weekend. _

_  
The little girl that was chasing me was my polar opposite. Her black hair hung in a silky straight curtain down her back, her skin was a beautiful brown. "Come on Claire!" I hollered, slowing my pace so she could catch up._

_  
"How long do you think it will be before they realize we're gone? She asked. For being so little, we sure were sneaky._

_  
I laughed. "I dunno. It looked like they were going to get in a fight. Quil was all shaky." I teased. _

_  
Claire pouted. "So? Jake never has any fun any more. He needs to chill!" I shrugged, she was right after all._

_  
"Well if Sam wouldn't yell at him all the time, maybe he could." I said, climbing over the larger rocks at the water's edge. Stepping into the icy cold, I shrieked, but didn't pull my toes out._

_  
"Sam's just being in charge. That's how its 'possed to be." Claire said, wading ahead of me into the cold water. I was such a wimp when it came to the negative temperatures. _

_  
"'Sides," She continued, "it's big people's problems. We left to get away from them, 'member?" I giggled and nodded. Holding my breath I plunged into the water, pushing myself against the waves. _

_  
"Maybe he should get married, that seems to make people happy!" I spluttered, treading the cold water that was coming in bigger waves now that we were away from the shore._

_  
Claire giggled. "No silly! Not yet." Our game was cut short by a massive wave that crashed down around us, forcing us to the rocky bottom. I kicked furiously at the sea floor. If I was outmatched there was no way Claire was any better off._

_  
Suddenly I was dragged above the surface. Shaking the water out of my face I realized that we were in big trouble. "What do you think you're doing out here?!" _

_  
Jake was mad, real mad. And Quil was worse. He dragged Claire back to the beach on his back. "You two could have been killed!" He snapped, shivering—although I was pretty sure it wasn't from the cold water._

_  
Claire's eyes were wide as she pushed her wet hair out of her face. "Oops."_

_  
"Oops?! Who's brilliant idea was this?" Quil asked, throwing a glare at me. I stuck my tongue out at him. It was always my idea._

_  
Jake was trembling too. When we were away from the water's edge, Jake set me on my feet. He was furious. "So help me god Renesmee, if something had happened to you…" _

_  
"My dad would freak the hell out. Yeah yeah yeah." I muttered. Claire giggled at my naughty language. Jake growled, causing both Claire and I to freeze where we were. _

_  
"I wasn't really thinking about your father." He snapped. _

_  
I frowned. I always hated it when Jake was mad at me. "I'm sorry Jake." I said, giving him my best remorseful look. He looked taken aback for a minute before crouching down so that he was eye-level with me._

_  
"Don't scare me like that, okay?" He asked, although it wasn't really a question. _

_  
I threw my little arms around his neck. "Promise."_

_  
It was a promise Claire and I broke a million times before we were even ten years old. The images rushed forward, through all the times Quil and Jake got so mad at us for doing something stupid._

_  
The memories sped up until they were a blur, landing on the beach again. _

_  
Claire looked amazing, in a white sundress with her hands full of daisies. Jared, Paul, Collin and Brady were there too, seated in foldable chairs. Emily stood next to her niece, who was holding Quil's hand, listening to one of the council elders read from a book._

_  
"I do."_

I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my ears. The sky outside was flat black, meaning dawn couldn't be far off.

Tyler's arm was slung across my waist, holding me to his warm chest. My mind was racing a million miles a second. My dream had been important, but why?

* * *

** ok... so if you kill me, you won't ever get to read the rest of the story!! lol.  
review!! pretty please?  
ps. obviously in my story Bella and Edward decided to keep the fact that Jake imprinted on Rainy a secret from her. I dunno, i could just see it happening for some reason. don't like? too bad! **


	16. Chapter 16

**Alrighty... so, I didn't get nearly the reaction to the last chapter that i thought i would, but this was already written soooo.... i figured i'd post it anyway.**

**y'all can thank the reviewer who pointed out that i always update on the 13th :)**

**_~wwsadd_**

**p.s. i haven't posted a disclaimer in _every_ chapter- seriously, i don't own anything- that doesn't change from chapter to chapter.**

  
Old Secrets

I held my breath as I slipped out of Ty's grasp and silently out of the room. When I got to the front door, I ignored my shoes, and took off into the black forest. Everything was silent, eerie. It was still to early for the birds to be announcing the day.

I let all my stress out, pushing my tired aching muscles to keep going though my whole body was screaming at me to stop. This only fueled me more—I hated feeling weak. I didn't have a destination; I was just running, dodging trees and boulders that cropped up in my way.

I barely noticed that the sun was rising. Soon though, I realized that I wasn't warming up because I was leaving my problems behind, but because the sunlight was beating down hard from above me.

When I felt like there was not an ounce of energy left in me I fell to my knees. My breath tore in and out of my lungs, for a minute I worried that I was going to start coughing up blood.

The forest seemed to spin around me. It was like my brain wasn't getting enough oxygen. But I knew better. It was because I had finally reached my limit. Even a Guardian can only be so strong for so long.

Last night I focused on Reid- not because it was easier to do so, it wasn't. My heart still felt like it was in a million little pieces. But at least when I was thinking about my failing relationship I wasn't worried about being the cause of the world ending.

That was the biggie- The disaster that loomed ahead of me. No matter which way I turned, this was going to come down to the shadow that thought this was all a game. Either it would win against the Ancestors, and go back to wreaking havoc on the world, or I had to stand up to it—and forget the ghost's words.

Both options seemed pretty bad. And my outlook was only made bleaker by the knowledge that no matter what I chose to do, I was going to be causing people pain. Maybe not causing it, but not stopping it-which was just as bad in my book.

I don't know how long I sat in that forest, on my knees, praying to whatever higher being might be out there to help me make this right. At some point my breathing slowed, and I was able to examine exactly what my choices were.

Option one. I did nothing. I went back to Caleb's, told everyone to forget about the shadow, and spend the rest of my life feeling guilty that I was the reason Jake's pack disappeared off the face of the Earth. Not only would I never forgive myself, my mother would probably never speak to me again. But I would live on, hopefully with my friends here, in this life that I'd become so attached to in such a short time.

Option Two. I suck it up and face the shadow, with the hope that between Nahuel and I, we can defeat it. We'd either miraculously succeed and save the whole world, Jake included, or perversely we become unstoppable—possessed by the shadow demon and are used as the tools to destroy the entire world… everyone included.

Option One seemed safer. Less people would be hurt, at least to begin with. But could I honestly live with myself, knowing I'd turned my back on Jake? I knew that answer. I prayed for a while longer, thanking Carlisle for teaching me to have faith in something larger.

I struggled to my feet then, calm and collected, the way a vampire was supposed to be. It took me twice as long to get back to Caleb's… It was past noon when I slipped back inside.

My calm was almost shattered by the screaming that was coming from the basement. 'Here we go again.' I thought to myself, silently moving in the direction of the angry voices.

The energy in the room was tangible. The atmosphere was nearly as tense as it had been in the Colony House the day before. I paused at the top of the stairs, listening to them argue.

"Bull shit!" The youngest Son yelled. "You know that's not true!"

"How?" Another voice nearly exploded back. Hearing the anger and pain in that voice nearly brought me crashing back down. "How do you know?"

"Pull your head out of your ass already Reid! Get the fuck over yourself!" Tyler was on a roll.

"I'm with Tyler on this one man. That was a really fucked up thing to do." Pogue always managed to seem unperturbed, and I had to hold back a laugh.

I waited for Caleb to break up the fight. It was his job, after all. But apparently he wasn't in a peacekeeping mood today. "I swear Reid, you never think, do you?" He snapped.

I had to appreciate them standing up for me, but I knew they'd made a mistake—the air became almost super-charged. Four angry warlocks and two defenseless humans did not add up well.

Leaping down the staircase in one bound, I managed to startle everyone. "Started the party without me I see." I said lightly. Sarah and Kate were sitting on the couch, but I could feel the anxiousness coming from them. They were uncommonly still… for humans.

Noticing that everyone was still trying to process my sudden and apparently unexpected arrival, I decided to take advantage of the silence. "I think maybe the girls should go back to school and find Nahuel… I shudder to think of the trouble he's getting himself into." I said, feeling my own eyes flame over as my keys appeared in my hands.

I tossed them to Kate, who snapped out of her stupor just in time to keep the keys from hitting her in the face. "Are you sure you can…?" The rest of her question was silent, but I knew what she was asking.

"I got this under control. We'll catch up to you later." I said confidently, mentally adding 'I hope'.

Sarah seemed about to argue, but Kate grabbed her by the sleeve, and booked it for the stairs. She could tell that this wasn't the safest place to be right now.

Caleb rounded on me once the girls were out of sight. "Where the hell have you been?"

I held on to the calm, relishing in the peace inside my head. "I went for a run." I said simply.

"A little warning next time might be nice. This isn't a good time to be wandering off alone." He said, still harsh, but not quite as bad as he'd been before.

I raised an eyebrow. "Next time? I for one hope that there isn't a next time." I muttered. All I got was a dirty look in reply.

It seemed like no one had anything to say for a moment. I couldn't bring myself to look at the blond boy standing across the room from me. I couldn't collapse back into my despair; I had to keep my resolve.

"So… what broke last night?" Pogue asked, randomly changing the subject, as only he could do. "Kate about had a heart attack."

I shrugged. "The window. Sorry Caleb."

For some reason, that was what broke the tension in the room. He started to laugh. "I'm just glad it was only a window." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Yeah, I thought we were all supposed to be terrified, which was why we were downstairs and you were upstairs." Pogue added.

Tyler jumped to my defense. "Dude, it was scary. You were lucky it was only the window." He said, playfully pushing me.

I giggled. "True. It could have been worse. How much did you hear anyway?" I asked, casting a sidelong glance at Reid, though my question had clearly been aimed at Caleb and Pogue.

"Uh… just the part where were both of you were yelling." Caleb said apologetically.

"So basically all of it." Pogue added casually.

"Screw you." I muttered. Pogue laughed. We insulted each other too much to ever really take offense at it.

"Speaking of telling people to fuck off, what exactly happened with Aaron last night?" He asked, and I remembered that he had heard the tail end of our little argument the previous night.

At the mention of Aaron Abbot the two youngest Sons both hissed. I finally felt Reid's gaze on my face. I didn't have the courage to meet his eyes, so I couldn't tell if they were still as angry as they had been before.

"Oh, you missed it. I hit him again. If that kid doesn't watch it he's not going to have any brain cells left."

"What did he do this time?" Ty asked, remembering the last time I'd thrown a punch at Abbot.

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He deserved it, end of story."

No one was going to argue with that. I was standing next to Tyler, so I whispered my request. "Hey Ty, can I use your phone?"

He handed it over with a curious look. I quickly dialed and listened to the ringing. "Yes?" An impatient voice asked.

I laughed. "Hey Alice. I was just wondering if you guys had any last minute brilliant plan."

"Nessie? Wow. You know your parents are like, freaking out, right? Where did you go?" She asked. Apparently she hadn't been able to foresee anything because I was with Jake and Seth.

I sighed. "Well… it's kind of a long story. You haven't heard from Jake or Seth have you? I kind of disappeared on them too…. Literally."

"No, but your friend Claire definitely got the La Push gang to back off, from the sounds of it. So we don't have to worry about the most humane way to put down a werewolf." She said. I could hear the joke in her voice. Alice loved the wolves.

The mention of Claire brought back my dream from last night. "Hey, did Claire and Quil get married?" I asked. "I had the weirdest dream last night—and lately my dreams have all been pretty near the mark."

I heard a small intake of breath. "Oh. They were definitely planning on it. Why?" Her voice was off, no longer joking.

"No reason in particular. I just have a feeling I'm missing something that's staring me right in the face. But that's okay with me right now. Anyway, I kind of made a deal with Sam Uley." I said, changing the subject back to the important one.

"When you were ten?" She asked, confused.

"Not exactly. Like, last week?" I told her. There was silence. I laughed. "Yes, I know—just don't worry about it okay? Carlisle doesn't know anything about Guardians that I don't, does he? I need to have my facts straight."

She seemed to realize then that we actually had a crisis at hand. "Oh my god. Nessie, whatever it was that you thought you could do, don't!" She cried.

"Uh… well that might be an issue Alice. If I don't do anything there's a large shadow-demon that's going to wipe the entire Quileute tribe off the map. For starters." I explained.

"Starters?" She asked, clearly taken aback.

"Yeah. Then it will turn on its captors, kill them too, and then more than likely kill whoever it feels like coming after next. See the issue?" I asked.

There was another beat of silence. "You really talked to Sam?" She asked. I laughed.

"Yeah. I don't recommend it to anyone ever though. Scary as hell. Anyway, he took me to Nahuel. And between the two of us…" I trailed off.

"You have to listen to me Nessie, this is seriously dangerous. The last Guardian…"

I interrupted her. "Almost destroyed the world…. Yeah, I got that lecture too."

"From who?" She asked, losing patience. Alice hated not knowing things.

"From the Guardian. She's not a very happy person. She told me to remember that even a Guardian bleeds." I told her shortly. There were some things that I'd been told that no one else needed to hear.

"How? What the hell is going on over there?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes. "You met my friends, you tell me."

"So what are you thinking now?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm thinking that there really isn't much of a choice Alice. All outcomes basically suck- except one. I'll be the first one to admit that that one is a long shot, but you know that I can't in any sort of good conscious not take that risk."

I heard her tinkle of a laugh. "All I have to say is that you really are your parents' daughter. You think you always have to save the world."

I smiled. "I do. Who else is going to?"

"Let me guess, you don't want me to tell anyone?" She asked.

I shrugged, though I knew she couldn't see me. "Tell them what you want. It's not gonna stop me."

She was laughing again as she said goodbye. "Go stop the Apocalypse." She said, and then the phone disconnected.

I tossed Ty's phone back to him. "Thanks." The silence had descended again. It was still a charged atmosphere—but it felt more like fear than anger now.

"Saying goodbye?" Caleb asked, catching on to the reason for my call, the real reason I needed to talk to my family before anything else happened. I didn't know how this would end, but I wouldn't take that chance.

"No one can guess what's going to happen. It's good to tell the people you love what they mean to you because you never know if you'll have another chance." I said simply. I still had my calm resolve.

"Way to be optimistic." Pogue muttered.

"Optimism is overrated." I muttered back. For once our playful bickering didn't alleviate the tension.

"Is there any reason we should even try to talk you out of this?" Caleb asked. I smirked.

"It's good to see you've finally caught on. Nope." I said.

"I'm a little confused. What just happened?" Tyler asked apprehensively.

I stepped closer to him. "This whole time I've been trying to make a choice. I finally did."

"And?" He demanded.

"Don't worry about it. I'm being… optimistic." I said, throwing a grin in Pogue's direction.

Reid had yet to speak, and I wondered if that was one goodbye that would have to be left unsaid. There was a sharp pain in my chest at the thought.

"So what's the plan?" Caleb asked. I raised an eyebrow. He was supposed to be the one with the plan.

"There isn't really one. Plans tend to backfire. We should probably go catch up with the girls and Nahuel though, I need to talk to him too."

"We'll wait for you in the car." Tyler said, giving me a pointed look and beckoning to Caleb and Pogue.

Pogue gave me an encouraging smile, while Caleb just rolled his eyes. "Children." He muttered. I stuck my tongue out at him.

Reid and I both remained still and silent until we heard the front door slam, and the sound of Tyler's Hummer starting up.

I couldn't seem to do anything but stare at the floor. I didn't know what to say, or to do—I didn't know anything except that the large space between us was killing me.

It became clear however, that if I didn't say something, we were going to stand in silence until Ty started laying on the horn. "I'm only going to say this once. I don't know why you can't seem to trust me, but that doesn't really matter right now. We don't have any idea what could happen in the next 48 hours, and I don't want to spend forever wondering if you hate me."

I still couldn't look him in the eyes. And neither of us moved. I waited for him to say something, anything. "I can't hate you. I've been trying." He suddenly said.

That definitely didn't help the ache in my chest. "Wow. Well if that's how it is, then I suggest we both smile and go back upstairs. Don't make this harder on them than it already is, please." I begged.

He shook his head, taking slow steps towards me until he was facing me, a mere foot away. "I can't hate anyone but myself right now." He said, putting a restraining hand on my wrist, as I had tried to step back from him.

Having him so near me was messing with my resolve. I could feel myself start to shake again. I couldn't open my mouth; I had no idea what would come out if I did.

"Tell me the truth Rainy." He quietly demanded. I took a shaky breath.

"The truth? Which truth Reid? The truth that I love you? The truth that you broke my heart? The truth that I'm terrified right now, and feel like I have no where to turn because you can't trust me, and that makes it impossible for me to trust you? There are lots of truths Reid, and you already knew all of them." I said, yanking my hand out of his.

He opened his mouth, but then shut it again. Twice. "What about Jake?" He asked stubbornly. I glared.

"This isn't about Jake and never was. It's about whether or not you believe what I tell you. And obviously you don't. For the record, if you had stayed an extra ten minutes yesterday you would have figured out that I had no idea what Nahuel was talking about." I snapped.

He finally decided to believe me. "I know." He said defeatedly. "I just… It doesn't make sense, you and me. It would make more sense if…"

"If I just decided to mess around with you? Glad to see you think so much of me." I interrupted him. "If you didn't want the responsibility Reid, there were better ways of handling it. You don't have to pretend you want more than you do." I said, knowing how implicating my voice was.

That did it. He was yelling, fire flashing in his eyes. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know damn well what it means. You think you were confused about us being together? I was the one dating the guy that doesn't _do_ dating. How do you think I felt? But I didn't accuse you of cheating on me! Tell me, why did you even want to make it into a relationship? If sex was all you were after all you had to do was say so."

I knew I had crossed a line then. He was so mad that he was shaking. His icy eyes burned into mine. "Where do you get off saying that to me? I never _ever_ pushed you." He shouted, and I knew he meant in the physical affection area.

I glared. "Right, because you didn't need to! You didn't need me, you obviously have a line of girls just waiting to hop in bed with you." I snarled. The emotional rollercoaster from the previous night was even more potent now that I was talking to him directly.

He looked shocked for a minute. "You're wrong." He said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because I've heard about this line of skanks from more than one person." I pointed out.

"No, that part's true. You're wrong about me not needing you. I need you—Rainy, more than I've ever needed anything. I'm not used to needing anyone. And it scares the hell out of me." He said, his voice coming back down to its normal octave.

I started to shake, this time because my heart had begun to hope again. My voice trembled too. "And is it so impossible to see that I need you too?" I asked.

The hope that I felt warming me moments before was now reflected in his eyes. "So you can forgive me for sleeping with Kira?" He asked. It stung a little, to hear him say that. I mean, I expected it, but still. "I didn't go to Nicky's last night planning to do anything like that it… just happened."

I knew that I couldn't let anything else get in the way of what Reid and I had. I smirked at him. "Sure, I mean, I slept with Tyler." I said.

Shock crossed his face. "You… w-what?" He stuttered.

I snickered, letting him in on the joke. "Gotcha." I said, slipping out of the way as he tried to grab me. I was faster, but I was also laughing harder than I had in a long time.

It didn't take him long to catch me. Grabbing my waist, he spun me around so I was facing him, my back against a wall. "Not funny." He growled. I smirked.

"I beg to differ." I quipped, grabbing his face and pulling it down to mine. The adrenaline rush made my knees go weak, but Reid's arms were firmly around my waist.

It was a harsh kiss, one that only hinted at the stress of our current situation, but also sparked with passion. We broke apart when we heard Tyler honking from the driveway.

I slipped out of his arms that had loosened when we had jumped apart. "Come on. They probably think we've killed each other or something." I said, taking his hand and tugging him back up the stairs.

He let me lead him, his fingers laced tightly through mine. When we got to the Hummer, I made to let go of his hand. I expected him to fight Tyler for the driver's seat, but he just smirked, opening the door to the back and helping me jump in.

Pogue had apparently called shotgun, and so I wound up sitting between Reid and Caleb. I snickered at the irony. When we pulled out of the driveway and headed down the road Reid reached across the car and smacked Tyler on the back of the head.

"Watch yourself." He warned. Ty's eyes widened in the rearview mirror.

"You told him about last night?" He yelped. I felt Reid tense next to me.

I started laughing, so hard that I was doubled over. "No, but you just did." I gasped, thinking that I might start crying from laughing so hard.

Caleb was giving me a look that clearly questioned my sanity. Pogue looked intrigued. "Wow. Maybe we didn't realize what we were hearing last night." He said, and I knew he was kidding, which made me laugh harder, if possible.

Reid looked completely shell-shocked. "I thought you were kidding!" He said to me, eyes wide. I couldn't breathe enough to tell him what was going on.

"What did she tell you?" Tyler asked, beginning to laugh too.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down enough to speak. "I told him we slept together." I said, and giggled more. Tyler laughed harder too.

"Oh, yeah, she wasn't kidding." He said, not paying any attention to the road. Everyone but Reid was laughing now. "We definitely slept right next to each other." He added, after another minute full of snickering.

I finally felt him breath again. "Wow. That was harsh." He said, mock-glaring at me. I kissed him on the cheek.

"Payback's a bitch." I told him.

"So, seriously, what did Aaron say last night?" Reid said, as soon as we'd all finished laughing at him. I knew he wanted an excuse to hit someone.

I shrugged, shifting so I was as close to him as I could be. My fingers were still laced through his, and I laid my head on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. He was asking for it." I said.

Pogue turned in his seat so he could join the conversation. "Asking for what?"

I smirked. "A number of things." I said.

Reid kissed the top of my head. "His ass is so mine." He muttered.

Caleb laughed. "Just make sure to make it look like an accident, okay?" He requested. Everyone was shocked for a minute, before we all cracked up laughing again.

Everyone was in an extremely good mood when we got back to Spencer. Until we got to my room…

My _empty_ room.

* * *

**I'm thinking there will only be maybe four chapters left... but i won't have any incentive to write them if it looks like no one wants to read them :)  
review!! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay… so this was a fluffy/fillery chapter that got out of hand… story of my life, he he. Anyways, there should only be three chapters after this (at most). At last we're finally getting somewhere!!**

**  
But for those of you who love Rainy, Reid, and company, do not fear!! There will more than likely not be a third "sequel" or whatever you call it, but I am planning to do another story—well not so much a story as a compilation of one-shots, most will be Reid/Rainy, but there will be some Rainy/Ty friendship and such as well!! **

**  
It is in the works!! He he. It's tentative title is 'Practical Magic'**

**  
Anyways… disclaimer in chapter one!! (why do I even bother typing that out?)**

**  
Review!! Please!! You have no idea how much it makes my day!!**

_**  
~wwsadd**_

The Good Old Moral of the Story

"Seriously? What the hell?" Pogue groaned, falling into Sarah's desk chair. "Did we not tell them to come back and wait here? And where's your freaky friend?" He asked, slamming his phone shut after getting Kate's voicemail for the eighth time in the last two hours.

I sighed. "I don't know. Not here obviously." I said, crawling onto my bed. "What's the game plan?" I asked, looking pointedly at Caleb, who had his head in his hands, sitting tiredly on the edge of Sarah's bed.

He shot me a dirty look. "What, I'm suddenly in charge again?" He asked, anxiety apparent in his voice.

Reid looked like he was about to snap at him, so I yanked on his arm, pulling him down on the bed next to me. "Yes. You've always been in charge Caleb, I just choose to ignore it from time to time." I said with a grin.

I rolled so my ear was right over Reid's heart. His fingers were tracing their old pattern around the tattoo on my hip. "That's my girl." He said, causing me to giggle.

The situation was still serious, as was apparent by Caleb's reaction. He got heavily to his feet, and began to pace. "Well I've got nothing." He snapped.

Tyler had remained silent since we'd entered the room. I glanced over at him. He was sitting up on the edge of my desk, the picture that had been front and center on it was now in his hands.

The photo was taken at Tyler's eighteenth birthday party: a gift to him from Sarah and me after we all survived Chase's attacks. The giant bonfire threw enough light to make out all seven of us.

It was possibly one of my all time favorite pictures of myself. Sarah and I were dressed ridiculously- we were both kissing Tyler's cheeks, our boyfriends laughing good-naturedly on either side of us.

Kate had jumped up on Pogue's back just as the picture was snapped, and they were grinning at each other. It was without a doubt one of the happiest nights of my life.

It was the day that I'd become part of the Covenant, something that was obvious would never be reversible.

Pulling away from Reid, I let my eyes flame for a moment, and the picture appeared in my hands. I let the image burn itself into my mind. I memorized all our faces, frozen in expressions of joy and safety and love.

We may never get to be completely free of the shadows that follow us- the dangers that we face simply because of who we are. But that picture said it all. Those brief moments of pure happiness were worth every fight.

Suddenly the framed print disappeared from my hands. My head snapped up to look at Tyler, who was smirking, the picture was back in his possession. "I've got a copy of this in my room too."

"There's one on Kate's dresser in our room." Pogue said, letting his eyes flash- the picture appearing in his hands next. The next moment it was gone.

Caleb had stopped pacing. "Sarah took it someplace and got a huge one made for the Manor." He said, an involuntary smile pulling at the corner of his mouth at the thought, the ornately framed image in his hands.

Reid shifted, shoving me off him so he could reach into his pocket. Pulling out his leather wallet, he flipped it open and handed me a folded Kodak from inside. I opened it and snickered. It was the original photo.

"I wonder why it means so much to all of us." Tyler said, always the philosophical one.

Reid shrugged, pulling me back to my original position, with my head resting over his heart. "Because man, it's _hope_." He said.

"Awwww." I said sarcastically, ruining the moment. Everyone laughed, and my wonderful boyfriend decided that I'd paid him back enough apparently. He started tickling me, until I was almost screaming.

The lights in the room flickered and went out. "Geez Rainy." Pogue said, reaching over to see if the switch would turn them back on.

"Hey! It wasn't me!" I argued. And it was true. The Power was, for once, not right at my fingertips. We remained in the dark, and it took me a minute to realize that there should be sunlight pouring in the window.

"What the…?" Pogue hurried over to the window, glaring out at the intimidating clouds. "Rain was not in the forecast guys…"

Tyler jumped down from my desk, and tried to open the bedroom door. It seemed to be stuck… I felt more than saw his eyes flash, as he Used. Finally he yanked it open. "Well let's not stand here all day." He said harshly, beckoning everyone out.

Reid rolled off my bed, eyes warily trained on my face. Pulling on his hand I gestured for everyone to follow me.

When we all made it into the hall, I turned. "What do we do?" I asked, barely able to speak through the panic. I knew better than to think that I could face the shadow completely alone- and there was no sign of Nahuel anywhere.

"I say we get the hell out of here." Tyler said, pointing toward the nearest exit.

"We should split up- in case we're being followed." Caleb said, as we ran around a corner, in the direction of the large double doors. Reid's fingers were still tight around mine, but Caleb was right.

I nodded, hopping down the rain-slick concrete steps. "Yes, but we should be confusing about it." I said, hating the words as they came out of my mouth.

Tyler sighed. We were now standing in the middle of the parking lot. It was only four o'clock in the afternoon, but it was so dark. And still. And cold. "Here." He said, handing Caleb his keys. "You take the Hummer. Go to my place."

"Rainy can go with me. We'll go hide out at me and Kate's place." Pogue said, surprising me. That would be confusing though. And probably for the best. He nodded his head in the direction of his Ducati.

"No way in hell." Reid growled. He grabbed my arm as I started to move from his side. I gave him my most pleading look. His stubborn glare warned me that I was going nowhere.

"Reid." I sighed despairingly. "Go with Tyler. Take the Mustang; go hang out at the Colony House for a couple hours. We can all meet at Nicky's at nine. If anything happens before that…"

His grasp on my arm tightened. "_No._ You aren't walking away from me again." He said desperately. My heart sped up, my body going cold again. I felt the tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"Damn it. Don't you get it? We're wasting time standing here, and any minute _it_ could be back. We have to get the hell out of here, now." I snapped, trying to be a vampire instead of a human for once.

That stubborn look in his eyes didn't lessen. "We have to confuse it- it's the only way to buy any extra time. If you and I stay together, it's coming after us, guaranteed. This thing knows me…knows where I want to be. Please, lets argue about this later." I said with a weird sense of déjà vu.

I almost laughed when I realized why. This was backwards from last time. When Reid left me in the Colony House on Tyler's birthday. He'd said we'd argue later.

Finally he nodded defeatedly at me. I stood on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his neck tightly. I brought my lips to his for a quick second. "Promise?" He mumbled. I kissed him again and smirked.

"Promise." I said, knowing that that one word said everything. I forced myself to turn and sprint toward Pogue's bike, where he was waiting, though not patiently. I hopped on the back, pulling Kate's helmet on.

Pogue spun out, shooting gravel everywhere. I grabbed him around the waist, clinging to his leather jacket for dear life. Under any other circumstances it would have been a thrilling ride- the wind in my face reminded me of running, the snarling of the motorcycle making the adrenaline rush through my blood.

He made turn after turn, through the cover of the forested highway. When he stopped I pulled off the helmet and looked around.

The sun was shining here… I wasn't sure if that should be threatening or reassuring. The shadow obviously was nowhere nearby. I just hoped my boyfriend and friends were as lucky.

Pogue parked his bike in the cover of the trees, and headed for the cliffs. I followed silently, wrapped in my own thoughts. Thoughts of what my life might have been like if I wasn't a Guardian, if my friends weren't descendants of the magical survivors of the witch trials.

If we were 'normal'… what could that possibly be like? Could it be, I don't know, boring? I decided it might be, but sometimes boring wasn't bad. It'd be safer for sure…

Sarah Kate and I could have normal girls' nights, talking about clothes and boys and college. I wouldn't have to worry about Reid dying before he was thirty, about Tyler never finding a girl he could trust with his dangerous secret.

But wouldn't we run out of things to say? Magic bound us all together. It made us special.

"Earth to Rainy." A hand waved in front of my face. "Where'd ya go?" Pogue asked, playfully shoving me.

"Sorry, I was envisioning a life without magic." I said, plopping down on the side of the cliff, letting my feet dangle over the edge. Pogue flopped down next to me, giving the steep drop a nonchalant glance.

He snorted. "What would we do if we weren't constantly running for our lives? Sitting on our asses, being way less cool, that's what." He said, picking up a pebble and chucking it into the air, watching it drop swiftly toward the ground far below our swinging feet.

"We're still sitting on our asses." I reminded him. "And we don't know if our friends are safe." I added quietly, the fear making me shiver. Pogue shrugged out of his worn leather jacket and draped it around my shoulders. I shoved my arms into it- wondering why I was always so cold.

He nudged my shoulder playfully with his own. "Well at some point we just get really good at this whole narrowly escaping with our lives gig. You know everything's going to be okay, right?" He asked, sincere for once.

I smiled, shoving him back. "Yeah, optimism, right?" He snickered. "So where did everyone really go?" I asked, examining the scenery around me. I'd only been here a couple times before. Reid had called it Marblehead.

If we'd told them we were going to Pogue's house and really came here… obviously they had some sort of a preconceived plan or code. He shrugged. "We were all supposed to meet at Caleb's." He said simply.

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I'm an even bigger negative influence than I thought. Disobeying fearless leader are we now?" I asked, trying and failing to hold back a giggle.

He stuck out his tongue at me, an immature reaction, even for him. Usually I was the only one who pulled that kind of thing. "I figured that if the freaky demon thing was gonna follow anyone it would be us. I was making sure we could outrun it before leading it straight to where everyone else is." He explained condescendingly.

I couldn't resist the urge to hug him. He seemed surprised for a minute, before hugging me back. "Thank you." I murmured. I felt his chest rumble as he chuckled.

"Caleb's gonna be pissed. But even I feel the urge to do what's right every once in a while. Usually Caleb's orders are the right thing, so it's not hard. Sometimes… he lets his judgment get clouded by his emotions, and then I feel like I have to go behind his back. He's my best friend, it's not a good feeling." He said, his voice going from teasing to serious.

I flopped back so I was staring up at the blue sky, letting my legs remain dangling over the cliff's edge. I felt him lay back too. "So Reid what, wasn't in on the secret?" I asked, referring to the fit he threw when I tried to leave. "If he'd known we were all _supposed_ to go the same place…" I asked, letting my question trail.

"He did know- that that was what the plan was. Doesn't mean he was down with it though. I'd be surprised if he ever willingly lets you out of his sight again. You don't know what it did to him when you left." He said quietly, looking at the cloudless sky.

It didn't hurt as much when it came from Pogue. I knew he was simply stating a fact. When Tyler had talked about it… well it seemed like Reid and I were forcing him to choose sides or something.

"You know I didn't hurt any of you on purpose, right?" I asked.

He chuckled again. "I knew it, so did Kate. We both got pretty frustrated with the rest of them when they acted like you were doing something _to_ us, instead of _for_ your werewolf buddy."

"So they all just thought I was being a total bit-" I tried to continue, but the biker cut me off.

"Not exactly. Caleb and Sarah thought you acted too quickly, without considering our feelings." He said, and I could hear in his tone of voice that an eyeroll would be accompanying his words.

"Baby Boy just didn't understand your thought process. I think he was hurt more than anything- he expected you to trust us to help, and he figured you running off alone was some sort of a half-assed way to show us that we weren't good enough friends." He said, laughing.

"Right, he's not a good enough friend, he didn't offer to be a martyr by handing over his Power or anything." I grumbled, stating one of the lesser reasons the youngest Son of Ipswich was a friend of the highest caliber.

"About that… what _do_ you think would happen if we willed our Power to you?" He asked, turning his head so he could look at my face while I thought about his question.

I shuddered, pulling the too-big jacket closer around me. "I don't want to find out. I think I've gotten us into enough trouble for now." I quipped, causing him to laugh. But I had one more important question.

"While we're talking about it, what do you think Reid thought, you know, when I left?" I asked, turning my eyes back to heaven, not wanting my friend to read my expression when he answered my question.

"I grew up with Reid. As unpredictable and rebellious as he's always been, it's not hard for any of us to tell what he really thinks. He's not very good at hiding his emotions, he's a little too temperamental for that." He joked.

Didn't I know it. I smirked. "And…?" I asked, urging him to continue.

"He thought, well… _knew_ that you were really only thinking about what the right thing to do was. He knew you were protecting us. As much as we all hated to think about it that way." He said, poking me in the ribs. I squealed.

"It was like, this little girl just came waltzing in, made herself a place in our lives, and then completely showed us all up." He teased.

"Of course, I don't think Reid really cared that you could easily hand us our asses in the whole magic area. He was just scared shit-less that he couldn't protect you." Pogue paused, but it sounded like he wanted to continue- like he had something else to add.

I turned to look at him interestedly, raising an eyebrow in impatience. "None of us like that feeling actually. We're used to being unstoppable. Not only are you better with our Power than we are, we can't even save you after you saved us from Chase. Way to be an overachiever." He muttered.

I giggled. "Sorry, next time I'll let the Power-hungry warlock have his way with you." I said. His eyes widened in mock horror.

"Oh no, save me Rainy, save me!" he cried, pitching his voice way too high. I laughed, smacking him.

"You aren't capable of being serious for a full five seconds, are you?" I asked, still giggling.

"You know you like it." He retorted.

"Besides, Caleb's the high-achieving golden boy that can do no wrong, Reid's the bad boy player that can do no right. They fight, _a lot_. In case you _hadn't_ noticed. Tyler and I usually have to break up their fights. Tyler uses the calm, logical approach, and I…" He seemed unable to word his peacekeeping technique.

"Act like a complete idiot to divert their attention?" I filled in for him. He jumped to his feet, so quickly that it startled me, which is saying something.

The next thing I knew, he had hauled me to my feet and thrown me over his shoulder, the way Jake used to when I was being stubborn. I screeched. "Put me down you jerk!" I hollered.

He took off at a fast pace toward his abandoned Ducati. "You know what happens when you play with fire Rainy." He sang. I beat my fists ineffectively against his back, knowing I could hurt him if I tried hard enough, but having no desire to do so.

"Oh, is that what I'm doing?" I mocked, as he finally put me down next to the bike. "I could have sworn you just begged me to save you." I said, pulling his keys from the pocket of the jacket I was still wearing.

Throwing my leg over the impressive machine, I grabbed the handlebars. Pogue looked at me incredulously. "I'm driving." I insisted with a smirk. He groaned.

"Damn. You know, you and Reid have a lot in common." He grumbled, climbing on behind me and lightly wrapping his arms around my waist.

Jake had taken me for countless rides on his Harley when I was little, and I fell in love with it. I'd persuaded him to teach me how to drive it by the time I was ten. Kicking the Ducati to a start, I turned it around and sped back toward the highway.

When we made it to Caleb's the boys all rushed out, varying degrees of anger on their faces. I stopped the bike, and Pogue hopped off, reaching over to yank his keys out of my hands.

I grinned, hoping they weren't too mad. I slid off the motorcycle, and let Reid yank me into his arms. "Where the hell were you? And why the fuck weren't you wearing a helmet?" He growled. I felt his heart beating erratically against my cheek.

Slipping my arms around his waist, I shrugged. "Forgot. Sorry. Pogue and I were just having a little heart-to-heart." I said, giving Pogue a wink. I wasn't about to tell the boys that he had taken us to Marblehead in case we weren't lucky enough to get away from the shadow… it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that that wouldn't go over well.

"Can we get inside please?" Caleb asked, giving his best friend a disapproving glare. I let Reid drag me into the Manor, the others followed us down the stairs. He claimed his normal spot in the insanely comfy armchair, pulling me down into his lap and wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"So, I think it's time to have a serious conversation about what is going on here, and what we are going to do to stop it." Caleb snapped, as soon as we were all situated.

Tyler surprisingly disagreed. "We can't do anything but wait. We have to figure out where Nahuel and the girls are first." He said quietly.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I muttered. He shot me a dirty look. I grinned innocently at him.

Reid was playing with the zipper on Pogue's jacket, that I was still wearing. "I don't like this. I think we should look for another way to fight this thing." He said resolutely.

I turned so I could snuggle my face into his shoulder. "There isn't another way. If there was, Sam wouldn't have made me this deal. If there's one thing I'd bet on, it's that. The Ancestors hate vampires. For them to be willing to forget their animosity against my family- they have to be _desperate_." I explained.

"What does that make us?" Reid asked shortly. I sighed.

"It makes me… I mean it makes _us_ obligated to do everything we can." I said, amending my wording when I caught the look on Reid's face.

"As much as I hate to admit it she's right. There's nothing we've been able to find that would suggest that there's magic that can stand up to this shadow. Rainy's the best shot we've got." Caleb said, pacing around the spacious living room.

I nodded. "Thank you for seeing it this time." I said, tracing patterns on Reid's tense arms. It felt like he was barely breathing.

"Do you have a death wish?" he demanded.

I shifted so I could catch his gaze directly. "No. I do have a life wish though." I said pointedly, fidgeting with the ornate sun on my charm bracelet.

He didn't look moved. "Can't you just accept that I have to do this? You aren't making it any easier. You think I want to take a risk like this when I have so much to live for right now? I don't—but that doesn't change the facts Reid… I still have to." I said slowly, hoping that my words would hit home.

Because of my close proximity, I could both feel and hear his heart start racing. Everyone was silent for moments—moments that felt like hours. Curious, I slowly retracted my natural "gift", letting in the images from around me.

It was surprisingly difficult. With all the commotion I hadn't been practicing. Reid's thoughts were the clearest, because I was so close to him.

He was imagining what would happen if I didn't survive. The mess his life would turn into- alcohol, drugs, sex, and magic all twisted into a grotesquely colorful collage that faded into a headstone with a death date that was before he was due to graduate from Harvard.

I gasped, pulling myself out of it. I buried my face in his t-shirt, sobbing as quietly as I could manage. The intensity of the despair that hit me was shocking. Even if I was dead, knowing that he would kill himself that way was more than I could handle.

No one said anything, either because they were too stunned to do so, or because they realized what had just happened.

Reid rubbed my back lightly, but other than that he let me cry it out. All the terror, the despair, the anger, the confusion. I don't know how long I sobbed, but finally my eyes were dry. All that replaced the onslaught of harsh emotion was a calm exhaustion.

Before I realized it, I was asleep again- safe in the only place that protected me from my nightmares. I don't know how long I slept, I felt like I could sleep forever.

At some point however, I was tugged back to consciousness. I stayed still, listening to the boys' conversation. I'd had a lot of practice pretending to be asleep when I was little, and was pretty good at acting.

"Look, none of us like this, but there just isn't another way." Caleb's voice was placating and soft. "If it could be us instead of her, you know we'd trade places with her Reid. But we can't. She's the only one with enough power to finish this."

My face was still pressed into Reid's chest, so I felt his heart speed up, though only slightly. It was the only indication that he had any opposition to Caleb's words.

"She knows we love her guys. She also knows that this is dangerous for us all. None of us can pretend like we don't know her well enough to know that she's doing this for us, just as much as for Jake." Pogue said, and I had to keep myself from smiling. He had heard me when we'd been out on Marblehead, apparently.

"She shouldn't have to though. What's the point of us having Power if we can't use it to save the people we love?" Tyler said, and again I had to keep myself from moving. I wanted to hug him, he sounded so sad. "This isn't _fair_. Why should she have to save the world all by herself? She didn't do anything to deserve _this_."

When Reid spoke his voice was barely more than a whisper. I wondered if it was because he was trying not to wake me, or because he was as tired as I was and couldn't manage to make his voice any louder.

"_How_ am I supposed to be okay with this?" He asked his brothers, and I could hear a real question in his tone. He wanted to back me up on this, trust me to do what I had to do—but he wasn't sure how to let go of the part of him telling him he needed to stand between me and my enemies.

I had to force my breathing to stay even. Pogue was the one that answered, though I was fully expecting to hear something brilliant come from Caleb. "Man, remember when we were little and we used to watch those lame superhero movies?"

I felt Reid shift slightly as he nodded. "With great Power comes great responsibility, right? We have a lot of Power but not enough—our responsibility is to trust her. She can do it, if we believe she can."

I heard Ty chuckle, at the same time that I finally felt Reid relax. I prayed silently that he was seeing the wisdom in Pogue's words.

"He's right though. I mean, how can we still doubt her? She's pretty much proven that she can take on the world, and win." My best friend said, still chuckling.

I felt my boyfriend's fingers lightly brushing the hair out of my face, warming my skin where they made contact. "You can wake up now babe." I heard the smirk in his voice.

I giggled and stretched, after the initial shock wore off. He'd known I was awake that whole time? I slowly opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the warm lighting.

"So, I'm superwoman?" I asked teasingly, moving so I could see everyone else, my head still resting lightly on Reid's shoulder. The others all seemed surprised that I'd heard their hushed discussion.

Everyone laughed, but it was subdued. "Yeah, but if you start wearing tights and a cape we _will_ disown you." Pogue said. I laughed again, this time with real feeling.

"Darn." I retorted. "And here I thought a bright red cape would be my secret weapon."

"Last time I checked the color red just makes big brainless animals angry." Ty added. I snickered at the thought of this shadow as a Spanish bullfighter's worst enemy. If only.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked, after a few minutes of relaxed silence. Well, as relaxed as the-world-might-end situation we were in would allow.

Caleb raised his eyebrows, locking his dark brown eyes with mine. "You're the plan." He said simply.

I nodded. Now we were talking.

* * *

**sooo... yup! I know this seemed like a really pointless chapter, but trust me, it wasn't!  
once school starts I'll be super busy though, I'm hoping to get the rest of this finished in the next week and a half or so- reviews help! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay, no I haven't forgotten about Jake and Seth. But remember, they have no idea Rainy is even back in Ipswich, and she's trying to protect them by dealing with their problem and being as far away from them as possible.**

**They'll be back… soon. So soon, in fact, that you'll figure it out by the end of this chapter.**

**There will only be two chapters left after this!!**

_**warning... this is a very intense chapter, be prepared.  
~wwsadd**_

**ps. To my reviewers… you guys are hysterical!! Thanks for the laugh. (btw guys, Reid would totally win)**

Old Truths

It had officially been 24 hours since we'd heard from the girls or Nahuel. Everyone was on edge, and I was about to jump out of my skin. This whole thing was going down, and something told me it was going to be soon.

It was Monday, and I felt obligated to go to class. After all, I'd skipped two whole weeks—I wasn't worried about catching up academically, just worried about rumors. I had enough to worry about without the wrong people asking bad questions.

"Miss Cullen. Care to join our discussion?" Shit. O'Connell was usually one of my favorite teachers, but why oh why did he have to call on me today? What had they been talking about?

"Not particularly." I muttered. Ty snickered. He had been all for skipping class, but when I had insisted on showing up, he had quickly followed along.

"Well just the same. Would you share with us your views on love at first sight, as portrayed by William Shakespeare's classic?" He asked, sternly looking at me and gesturing at the copy of Romeo and Juliet open on his desk.

I rolled my eyes. "Love takes time, commitment, and trust. Two fourteen year olds with raging hormones were not in love, they were looking to get laid." I said shortly. There was a long silence. I think I may have just given my Literature teacher a stroke.

A girl in the front row turned around, looking outraged. I didn't know her name, nor did I care to. "How can you say that? It's so… romantic." She said, sighing.

I scoffed. "Right. What's so romantic about od-ing on drugs, or putting a knife in your own chest? What's romantic about making your families lives' hell? I don't see romance, I see idiocy." I said coldly. Love was a touchy subject for me.

"Apparently you've never been in love." She said dismissively, flipping her straight unnaturally blonde hair over her shoulders and facing the front, as if she'd won our argument.

I snickered. "Well I guess I'll know when I am, right? As soon as I develop suicidal tendencies I'll know I'm on the right track."

Twenty minutes later, Tyler and I were walking down the hallway to my room. "Well that was fun." He said mockingly.

"Yeah, next time, we skip." I said decidedly, turning another corner.

He shrugged. "Works for me. Another day like today and you might just put O'Connell in a mental hospital, and then we might get a _really_ sucky teacher."

"What the-" He said, then quickly grabbed my wrist and yanked me into a closet.

"Tyler!" I squeaked.

"Shhh." He shushed me. I glared, though it was a supply closet, and therefore very dark- so my dirty look probably lost some of its potency.

I peered around him. The sliver of light coming in gave me no indication to what could be happening outside.

"Oh hell." He muttered. And then I noticed it. The air was quickly dropping in temperature.

"Ty…" I started to warn him.

"I know." He said, his voice a deadly kind of serious. "It's your call Rainy." He said, pulling the door to the closet all the way shut and turning to face me in the inky blackness.

We had discussed this—sitting in Caleb's basement. We didn't have a plan, just one rule. When it was time, they would let me do it alone. We'd spent hours going over different scenarios, so that I'd have as good a shot as possible—but in the end it came down to who had more power, simple as that.

I tried to take a deep breath, but the cold wracked my body and froze the air before it hit my lungs. "Stay here. I'm ending this, now." I said, reaching up to hug him quickly.

"If I'm not back in an hour, go find the guys. Not until then though- this will be hard enough…" I tried to explain, but my voice got caught and came out wrong.

I felt him nod, even as his arms didn't loosen. "I know." He repeated. I felt his lips on my forehead briefly. "You can do this." He added, shoving me out into the empty, dark corridor, and pulling the door closed again.

I tried hard to focus on his words, as I followed the chilling shadow. Somehow there was no one in the large wing of the school… it was the end of the day, but even so, it seemed uncommonly quiet.

My feet led me to a door that I'd gone in many times, but the minute I'd stepped through it I wished I hadn't. Chlorine burned my nose; the humidity did nothing to warm my body, but made it that much harder to breathe.

The pool.

"Can we just get this over with… please?" I called; my voice rang out, echoing in the empty, darkening room.

The voice from my nightmares laughed maliciously, though it was now dark enough that I could not make out what was shadow and what was not. "What's the rush, child?"

"I'm sick of playing." I snapped, referring to our fight as a game- the way _it_ saw all of this.

"Couldn't find anyone willing to help, eh?" It mocked. The lights in the bottom of the pool flicked on, creating an eerie green glow that barely illuminated the concrete edges around the water.

"You wish." I spat. "Just because you don't have any friends, doesn't mean I don't. I think it's probably got something to do with the fact that I'm a good person and you're not… but just maybe." I sneered.

Another wave of déjà vu rocked my shivering body even more. Why was I provoking the stupid thing? It wouldn't kill itself like Chase did.

But instead of sounding mad, it was just amused… infuriatingly amused. "Hmmm… well I think I can take care of that for you." It growled maliciously. Ice shot through my already freezing body.

"Let's just keep this between you and me, shall we?" I asked, hoping to hide the sheer panic in my voice.

"Tempting but… I think your … _friends_ would feel a little left out." It sang.

The large metal doors to the pool slammed open, causing me to flinch before squinting through the darkness to see who would even think about interrupting this.

We had agreed, after all. They had all promised.

My eyes widened, and my heart contracted in fear. This was not happening.

"Started the party without us, I see." Nahuel said, unperturbedly loping from the door to where I was standing. I sighed in relief when I realized the girls were not with him.

But then his words struck me. "Us?" I asked quizzically. Nahuel gave a tight, secretive smile that did not calm any of my fears.

"Where were you?" I asked roughly, sparing him just a moment's glance.

He took a step closer to me, so we were standing side by side. "You'll figure it out." He said. Damn him and his cryptic answers.

The shadow growled out another laugh. "Secrets don't make friends." It said, sounding gleeful.

"No, but friends make, and keep, secrets." I snapped back.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." It mocked. I had to smile for a second. I'd had another nightmare-less night last night- thanks in large part to who was sleeping next to me.

"No… Someone is just getting sick of the cowardly monster after her friends. Are you waiting for something else or are you afraid that we might actually beat you?" I challenged, and felt Nahuel's hand slip into mine. At least I wasn't alone.

It laughed again, loud enough to rattle the metal bleachers behind us. The water of the large pool began to bubble and whirl. "Hardly. I'm still missing something though." It added.

"Oh, and what's that?" I asked sarcastically.

"Leverage." It said darkly. I heard Nahuel gasp, wondering if he knew something I didn't.

"Renesmee…" He whispered.

"What's going on?" I asked apprehensively.

"I'm sorry I didn't-" He was cut off by the howl of a wolf.

I felt my eyes widen, my chin dropping. "No!" I yelled. But it was too late.

"Your move, little girl." It said, and the howling suddenly cut off. I called Chase's Power, putting all of my energy into giving some sort of light to the pitch-black room.

I almost wished I hadn't. It was worse than any of my nightmares ever had been. The large red wolf was writhing and contorting in pain, suspended over the churning water like a grotesque puppet.

"Jake!" I cried, ready to throw myself toward the edge of the pool.

Nahuel moved quicker than I did. His stone hands grabbed my waist, digging into my hips while I struggled against his restraint.

"Don't." He whispered furiously in my ear. "It's using this as a trap. Don't use the Power of the Covenant." He warned. I tried to focus, to let go of the magic burning through my veins.

It was hard, indescribably hard. I wanted to go on the offensive, but Nahuel was right… a Guardian's greatest power was defensive. Slowly the racing energy ran out of my veins.

There were hot tears pricking at my eyes. I never imagined things could go this wrong. I could clearly see the two options in front of me.

Option one; I do what my heart is screaming at me to do. I summon all of Chase's power and throw it at the shadow, get it to release Jake at any and all costs. And maybe it would work. Maybe I'd save him. But what would be the price?

My life. That would be the price. It would take all of the Power in me to loosen the shadow's hold. If that alone didn't kill me, I'd hardly be in any shape to fight regardless. Save Jake, and destroy the world.

Option two; shove all thoughts and desires and fears out of my body- clear my conscious and my soul, and hope that it's enough to force myself to change in the way necessary to defeat the shadow. I would be too late to save Jake, but maybe I'd save the world.

I was painfully aware of everything going on in that moment. Nahuel's rough grip on me was biting into my skin the way few things could. The frigid air was nearly suffocating; the clear water of the pool was boiling like a giant cauldron. And my oldest, truest friend was about to die- unless I could stop it first.

It was obvious that there was no real choice for me. There never had been. I closed my eyes, and imagined everything I might be losing. When I opened them, I'm sure they were as dark as the shadow they were staring down.

I snarled, a sound more animal than human, and forced as much Power as I had in me out through my shaking fingers. As it drained through my body, I thought I'd see some change, the shadow weakening, Jake getting enough purchase to finally fight back… something.

Instead, I felt all the Power of the Covenant flow through me, and out of me. I saw no change, I felt my energy start to fade, and had to fight the panic that my sacrifice may have been for nothing.

As the fire in my veins dimmed, I realized what was happening. I whirled. My vision cleared, as my eyes faded back to brown—and connected with Nahuel's flat black ones. I gasped.

He'd done what Guardians do… He'd changed to save the magical being closest to him… that magical being just so happened to be… me? I tried to summon the ancient magic of the Covenant again, see if I could take it back, but it was no use.

The tears that had begun in my eyes spilled over and down my cheeks. The Power that I'd had… was gone. There was a dull, empty ache inside me, and worse, I had nothing to face the shadow with now. And absolutely no way to save Jake. There was no way Nahuel would make the same choice I'd been about to.

Turning my glare back to the contorting shadow, and my still-as-death friend. I tried to reason with myself… what else could I do to right this? But then the decision was made for me. Nahuel flung me to the side, and my exhausted body hit the ground—my head cracking against the concrete.

I shook myself, trying to clear my ringing ears and my blurry vision. I watched in horror as Nahuel threw a massive amount of Power at the shadow, my heart stopping when I saw my werewolf protector fall from the air, into the churning water below.

I may have screamed. I know I tried to. By the time I struggled to my feet, Nahuel was on his knees. Apparently he didn't understand the way the Power worked. I leapt to the water's edge, searching for my fallen friend.

"Just you and me now, my young tutore." The ominous words were nearly as threatening as the voice that spoke them.

Suddenly my eyes landed on the charm bracelet that was swinging wildly from my wrist. It reminded me of everything I fought to protect. I raised my eyes to the heart of the dark shadow.

"This ends, now." I growled. Taking as deep a breath as I could, I retracted my natural born power- pulling on the evil that hovered in front of me. I felt my body go still, as my mind did the fighting.

The shadow was even more oppressive than I'd imagined. It felt like drowning, and freezing, and being smothered all at once. Then came a sharp pain, a pain so precise and potent that I couldn't even make a noise in protest.

I reached up to clutch at my face, praying that the stabbing, throbbing hurt would go away. It felt like someone was driving a knife into my head, over and over. The sound of the malicious laughter barely registered in my mind.

Through the haze of agony, an unexpected voice echoed in my ears. The words seemed like they were from a lifetime ago. A lifetime that made more sense than this one. At the time, I'd never realized how important those words were.

_  
"Your friends are real, your family is real…your bravery and stubbornness are very real, just like your loyalty… it's the only way we'll make it through being __us__."_

Those words made all the difference in the world. I held on to them, repeating them over and over to myself. I concentrated on the meaning in them, knowing that they were the real answer to winning any fight—I just had to remember who I really was.

Slowly, the unbearable pain subsided. In its place a very calm, tranquil, serenity filled me.

I was finally able to open my eyes, and was flooded with relief when I saw that there was light peeking in the windows. The shadow contorted hideously- an unearthly screeching coming from somewhere deep inside.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nahuel, struggling to his feet, amazement on his face. I turned to grin at him. We'd done it, we'd won.

Or so I'd thought.

Nahuel's face went from gleeful to horrified in mere moments. Whipping back around, I saw the shadow rushing toward me, like a bullet out of a gun.

Once again I was shoved out of the way. This time by the huge, russet wolf that sprung out of the vicious water. The shadow flew into his side, knocking him to the ground with a sound like an earthquake.

In the moment he'd bought me, I was able to jump back to my feet, shaking off the new aches in my body from being thrown relentlessly and repeatedly to the floor.

Focusing all my attention on the remnants of the evil that had plagued my life for so long, I reached out with the new, calm energy I had acquired and shoved the shadow back, away from the werewolf.

It fought back for a moment, but I'd found the trigger, and it was all to easy to smother the shadow, forcing it into a smaller and smaller corner until it disappeared altogether.

When the feeling of oppressive malice had lifted, the air warmed, bringing the more-welcomed stuffiness that came with indoor pools. My heart was light, knowing that the biggest battle of my life so far was finally over.

Turning, I sprinted to where Jake was still laying. My fear returned instantly, when I dropped to my knees and saw that he wasn't moving. Nahuel was at my side in seconds. "Why did you bring him here?" I asked, my voice breaking on the last word.

"He had something important to tell you." Nahuel's voice was remorseful and heavy. "We tracked him down—he insisted on coming back here. He said this wasn't your fight."

I tried to laugh, but it came out as a strangled sound, more like a sob. "His fight is my fight Nahuel!" I managed to gasp.

"And you still don't understand why that is?" He asked, frustration burning in his voice. I lifted my eyes to his hesitantly.

"I'm still missing something, aren't I?" I asked desperately. The large wolf in front of me whined, and the sound hurt my heart in a way I didn't know was possible.

Nahuel raised an eyebrow, giving me a condescending look. "Well whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait. Right now we have to get him out of here. We need Carlisle." I said, and realized that it wasn't only Jake that needed a trip to the emergency room.

It all happened so fast—there was so much adrenaline… I didn't understand until after the fact that Nahuel and I had almost died. My companion looked much like I'm sure I did right after my little chat with the Guardian…

And I felt like something large and angry had literally chewed me up and spit me out. Everything hurt—there was still a dull ringing in my ears, and I idly wondered if Guardians could get concussions.

Then there was a pain in my chest, an empty, cold feeling that I could only attribute to the loss of the Power that had been like a security blanket for the last month. I wondered if that would ache forever, but was thankful that losing it didn't kill me.

My thoughts were wandering, but Nahuel's sharp voice brought be crashing back to the grim reality. "We might not have time for that." He said.

I dropped my eyes back down to the massive werewolf, whose large furry head was resting in my lap. He'd begun to writhe again. Panic welled inside me. The feeling of it nearly pushed me over that invisible edge, but I held onto consciousness.

"Jake, come on; please don't do this to me." I said, my voice barely a whisper. I pulled my fingers through his fur, recognizing for the first time in a long time how very, very warm he was.

That did it. His warm fur against my freezing fingers. That simple awareness pulled everything else that I'd been confused about into focus. I gasped. The dream about the beach, Nahuel's fight in the Colony House, Seth's cryptic little remarks that I'd always blown off as craziness.

But how, oh how could everyone keep such a big secret for sixteen whole years? Why didn't anyone tell me? I had a right to know—when it affected me more than anyone else.

My startled gaze met Nahuel's understanding one. "Ladies and gentlemen she's figured it out." He muttered. In any other situation that would have been funny—so out of character for my fellow Guardian.

"It can't be- why am I the last one to know?" I demanded. Nahuel's face was serious.

"It was always your choice Nessie. I think your parents just didn't want you to feel obligated to chose a life based on something like this." He said softly.

Another painful whimper and a shudder wracked through the wolf. I casted another worried glance at him. Jake was the strongest person I knew… if he was showing weakness…

Staring down at my werewolf, I felt the truth behind the revelation I'd just made. Our connection had strengthened in the mere moments since I'd realized the reason behind it. His pain had always hurt me too, and suddenly the waves of intense torment I felt coming from him had me nearly screaming.

"Nahuel." I managed to bite out. "Use the Power—do something, please." I begged.

I felt a power surge in the echoing room. My eyes snapped up to meet Nahuel's pitch black ones. I quickly dropped my gaze back to Jake, focusing on that connection I'd finally found, the reason he mattered so much to me, and why I'd obviously mattered so much to him.

If anything he began to struggle even more. "Stop!" I cried, and subconsciously reached out with my newly acquired power and smothered the oppressive energy. Nahuel's eyes lightened back to normal.

"Cool trick." He muttered. "What do we do?" He asked, struggling to keep himself upright, much like I was.

"I don't know." I said, my voice low. I continued to run my fingers through the thick, warm fur on Jake's massive head. He jerked again, and I lowered my lips to his ear. "Come on Jake, stay with me." I pled.

For a moment I thought that I'd helped. His body calmed. I sighed in relief. But then my big strong protector contorted, shrinking and darkening. The head in my lap was now distinctly human, and completely still.

Too still. Nahuel's gasp didn't even register in my mind. All I could feel was the sensation that my heart was being torn from my chest. A sob wracked through me.

For the first time in my life, I was truly and utterly alone.

I welcomed the peace of unconsciousness when the dark waves of it pulled me under.

* * *

**okay, i know, i know. but it was the plan all along.  
there are still couple chapters left, so anyone that doesn't want to kill me should review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Feel special, i almost never post two chapters in one day. But today, i decided, i'd give you all a present :)**

**I just wanna say that Jake is my favorite Twilight character by far. One of my best friends writes too, and she tortures her favorite character all the time. I don't know why we do it, it just sorta happens. (if you're a Supernatural fan, you should check out her stories, they rock! her username is MummyLvr)**

**I love him, but he had to go!! **

**Let me know what you think, as always!**

_**~wwsadd**_

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something… Black?

It had been a full week. All I felt was… empty. The one thing that managed to stay constant in my life was gone, and I felt it deep down in the bottom of my heart and in all the reaches of my soul.

My outside appearance was beginning to match what I felt on the inside. Staring in the mirror I tried to see some trace of emotion, any emotion, in my eyes. But they were dead. Like my guardian angel.

I hadn't eaten, hadn't slept, hadn't even spoken that much. Thankfully Nahuel was able to get me back to Seattle without raising too much fuss. I don't know what he told the others- I didn't really care.

Now here I was in my room, the lavish, comfortable room at the top of the mansion my family had purchased on a whim two and a half years ago. The back of my door was a solid mirror- and I stood facing my reflection, trying to force some emotion to show on my face, _any_ emotion.

Carlisle had tried to help me, and he had, at least with the mild concussion I'd had, and the other bruises and physical hurts. But there was nothing he could give me for the deeper pain.

I found that my new abilities basically trumped all other magic, something that actually came in handy. Dad couldn't read my mind, Jasper couldn't read my emotions. I smothered it all, locking myself in my room, refusing to talk to anyone.

I had to learn to live with the fact that if I had done things differently, Jacob Black would not be gone. Right now it seemed impossible. I laughed without feeling, the girl in my Literature class had been right.

There were moments when I honestly just felt like I wanted to die. Maybe love did make people suicidal after all.

A subtle knock broke my reverie. I snarled under my breath. They just couldn't leave me alone, could they.

"Go away." I said, not even managing to put the right amount of anger into my voice.

Instead of hearing the sound of retreat, I flinched when the door opened. I had stopped locking it—after the third time I'd screamed at Rose, they finally got the message and stopped coming up here.

My dry eyes welled. "Get out." This time there was a hint of emotion in my voice. Desperation.

"No. I need to talk to you. Now." He'd never taken that kind of a tone with me. It wasn't so much his words that convinced me as the look on his face. It reflected exactly how I felt.

"There's nothing to talk about." I said, climbing back into my unmade bed. I pulled my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around them. I'd accepted that I'd never be warm again.

He dropped to the bed next to me, causing it to sink a few inches under his weight. His large hand reached out and wrapped around my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"Then I'll talk, and you listen." He said, his deep voice reverberating in the big room.

I shook my head, trying to pull out of his grasp, but he wasn't budging. "No, Seth. I don't want to hear it." I choked out.

His eyes reminded me of Jake's. They seemed so young, but held an ancient wisdom. The smell of the forest and the sea that drafted in with him reminded me of my lost friend as well.

"That's too bad. Because you need to hear it." He said, his voice burning with conviction.

I closed my eyes. "Okay." I whispered.

"Not telling you… it wasn't your parents decision Ness, it was Jake's. All along, he was the one who decided that you shouldn't know." His words caused my eyes to snap back open. I didn't believe it, Jake wouldn't keep something like that from me.

It was a kind of secret that had 'Edward Cullen' written all over it. Which was most of the reason why I hadn't spoken three words to my father since coming back to the west coast.

He saw the opposition to what he'd said in my eyes. "Really. He swore everyone to secrecy. Not that your parents had a problem with it, but it was ultimately up to him. He wanted you to decide on your own." He explained.

"Decide what?" I asked shrilly. "Does it look like I decided much of anything to you?"

He cocked his head to the side, looking sort of like a confused puppy. "Of course you did. No one asked you to take on a fight that wasn't yours. No one asked you to trek through the rainforests of South America in endless circles. Nothing you were ever told made you do what you did in Ipswich. You made all those choices based only on what you felt—not on some mythical connection."

His words caused my cheeks to warm. Or maybe it was his overheated hands. I yanked out of his grasp, but flung myself into his arms, burying my face in his t-shirt. His too-warm arms pulled me close while I cried.

"Jake would do anything for you Nessie. You just proved you'd do anything for him too. He wouldn't want you to sit up here forever, blaming yourself for ending a fight that he never had a chance to win."

I pulled back enough to look up at him in confusion, pausing mid-sob. "What?" I asked sharply. "Why would he-"

Seth shrugged slightly. "He knew he never had a chance against it. When I caught up to him in Columbia, I asked him why he was fighting such a pointless battle, why he wasn't spending what time he had left with you. You know what he said? 'I'll be damned if I do to her what Sam did to Emily. She's better off this way.'

"Everything he did, he did for you Ness. For you and for real peace here. All Jake ever wanted was for his family and yours to finally be able to stop fighting. You two did everything you could, and now, just maybe, he'll get what he spent his whole life fighting for. You have to make it happen Nessie." He said sternly.

The true meaning of what he was saying finally stirred something in my dormant heart. I owed him that much, didn't I? If true peace between vampires and werewolves was the best I could do for him, then hell, I'd make it happen if it killed me.

Seth's eyes watched my face patiently. Finally I nodded, and it seemed like he sighed in relief. "Okay." He said, sounding more like the old Seth. He hopped off the bed, yanking me with him, and shoving me toward my closet.

"Get dressed, we have a wedding to crash." He said with a chuckle. I raised an eyebrow, looking over my shoulder at him while yanking open my closet door.

"We're crashing a wedding?" I asked, noticing that there was true humor in my voice.

"Well… technically _you're_ crashing a wedding. _I_ was invited." He said smugly. I rolled my eyes, stepping into the large walk-in and changing quickly into a light green sundress.

Slipping into the strappy sandals that matched, I quickly returned to my room, pulling my wild hair back, and letting a few strands out to frame my face. "Alright, let's go." I said, gesturing for Seth to lead the way.

We snuck past my family, who were busy having an intense, hushed conversation in the library. I froze when I heard what they were talking about.

"You don't see anything?" I heard Jasper ask worriedly.

"Nothing at all. For anyone." I heard Alice snap confusedly.

"She's blocking it. All of it." My grandfather's calm voice reasoned. "I don't know how much longer she'll last like that. Her body is almost as human as vampire…" I didn't listen to any more.

We jumped into Seth's Jeep, which he'd parked far enough up the road that the sound wouldn't travel back to the house hidden in the woods. As he took off toward the setting sun, I rolled down the windows, letting the breeze caress my face.

Kicking off my shoes, I pulled my legs up underneath me. "So, if I'm any good at guessing, I'm gonna say we're headed to La Push?" I asked, playing with the radio.

"Hmm." He said, and I took it as approval. "Have a plan?" He asked, after a moment of silence, except for the gentle hum of the radio.

I shrugged. "Plans backfire." I immediately retorted. I felt a different kind of pain tear through me as I remembered the last time I'd said that.

Seth smirked. "Looks like Jake taught you something after all." He teased. I stuck my tongue out at him.

There were another few minutes of restful quiet. Finally I turned to look at him, my smirk mirroring his. "I've always wondered something Seth." I asked.

"And that would be…?" He said, playing along, or maybe truly curious.

I giggled. "If you're a Quileute, why do you drive a _Cherokee_?" I asked, bursting into more laughter.

It felt so good to laugh. Seth pretended to be outraged for a moment, but then amusement won out as the prominent emotion on his face too. "You sure are something else, Renesmee Cullen."

"I try." I retorted. He took one hand off the wheel to ruffle my hair. I squealed and glared at him.

We finally made it in one piece to First Beach. The sun was just sinking below the horizon. The small gathering of people were quiet, listening to an old man speak in a language that flowed like the streams that ran out to the sea.

It'd been a long time since I'd heard anyone speak Quileute, but my brain automatically translated it, relishing in the beauty of an almost-lost art.

The first words I heard warmed my still-chilled heart.

_  
"Love, is the greatest power of all."_

It was not a long ceremony, Seth and I stood back, not wishing to interrupt anything.

When Quil leaned down to kiss Claire, I smiled. It wasn't a happy smile. But I was glad that this turned out well for them. They deserved a happily ever after.

They didn't see us until everyone turned to leave. Claire's eyes widened, Quil looked resolutely at the ground. She pulled away from him, throwing her arms around my neck.

"I'm so sorry Renesmee." She whispered. I could see that she was about to cry. So I laughed quietly.

"Not yet, huh?" I asked, quoting her words when we were little, and raising hell. I thought she wouldn't remember, but she grinned through her tears.

She stepped back, clinging to her new husband. "Quil." I said, at a loss for words. He held out a large, brown hand. It startled me for a moment, but I quickly reached out with my small pale one and shook it.

"Friends?" He asked. I smiled.

"Friends."

Quil, Claire, Emily, and her son Jacy all jumped in the Jeep with Seth and I. I was amazed that it could even move with all of us inside. But it chugged along, taking us to the small hall where the small reception was being held.

Jacy sat between his mother and cousin, swinging his little legs that didn't quite reach the floor. There was a happy, safe grin on his face, and it brought me immeasurable peace to know that because of Jake—because of his sacrifices, and Sam's, that this little boy would never face the horrors that his tribe had survived.

Between Quil and Seth, we were kept laughing until Seth put the Jeep in park. We all climbed out, and let the newlyweds lead the way into their party. Seth pulled me aside.

"You should probably call your parents. I'd rather they not kill me." He warned. I laughed.

"Way ahead of you." I said, whipping out my cell phone and staying outside when Seth finally shut the door behind himself.

It only rang once. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen. Where the hell are you?"

"Calm down Dad. How much more damage could I possibly do?" I asked, momentarily forgetting that it wasn't his fault that I'd been kept in the dark my whole life.

I heard an exasperated sigh. "Renee-"

I cut him off. "I'm in La Push." I said, answering his question before he got so mad that he forgot what we were even talking about.

There was a stunned silence. "What?" His voice whipped through the one word question. "Why on earth would you-"

I interrupted him again. "There was something I needed to do here. I'm standing outside Tribal Hall, Quil and Claire Ateara's wedding reception is going on inside. Will you and Mom please come down here?"

"Alright. We'll be there soon." He promised. I didn't doubt it—with the way he drove, he could be in Southern California 'soon'.

I stepped through the worn wooden door, to be met by the sounds and smells of a joyful celebration. A young man with jet black hair was playing a guitar, another had a Native American looking drum in front of him.

People were dancing, and laughing. All these people were safe now; the deal I made with Sam Uley's spirit suddenly sprang to mind. True peace was at hand… almost.

I found Seth, sitting with the other wolves, and I plopped down in the seat next to him. Paul gave me a wary look, but I smiled innocently at him and he reluctantly relaxed his tense posture.

"Renesmee…" Jared started. I blinked, somewhat shocked that he would talk to me. They'd always put up with me—and I finally understood why, but they'd never gone out of the way to be friendly. Except Leah, Seth, and Embry, of course.

"Yes?" I asked shyly.

"We all need to thank you—you saved our whole pack." He said, sounding almost disbelieving even as the words came out of his mouth.

I shook my head in disagreement. "No. Jake saved your pack. I just helped out a little." I said with an almost-happy smile.

Suddenly Paul stiffened. A low snarl ripped from his throat. I watched a shudder go through him, and wondered confusedly what his problem was. Then I heard it. "Ness." My Mother's sad voice was in my ears.

She dropped a hand on my shoulder, crouching down so she was eye level with everyone sitting in the foldable chairs. Dad was right behind her. The atmosphere went from easy and joyful to stressed in less than a second.

I sighed. This was the hard part. I caught Claire's eyes on the dance floor and beckoned. She dragged Quil over to where we were all sitting. Jared and Paul had mistrust all over their faces, and I could see how tightly coiled my dad was- ready to spring at any moment.

Claire was the only one who didn't look disturbed. I had to give her props for growing up human in a world full of testy werewolves. "Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, thanks for coming." She said politely.

Quil's arm was protectively around her waist. I stood, pulling two boxes out of my small clutch.

"Look. Everyone here knows what happened. We don't need to talk about how or what or when. The only thing we need to know is _why_." I said, making sure to catch every werewolf's eyes, then turning to my parents.

"Jake saved us all, and it was because he wanted to make things right. We can all live happily ever after—he made sure of that. He fought for us—so that we can have real peace. So what if we aren't all human, all the time? We're all still people, and now we're all people who can live together in harmony." I said.

I handed one box to Claire, and one to my mother. They opened them at the same time. Bella pulled out a slim silver chain. Dangling from it was a wolf, carved for her many years ago out of love. If she could cry, I knew she would be.

Turning, I heard a gasp from Claire. The large diamond heart hung from a delicate gold cord. I smiled at them both. "All Jake asked for was peace. Make sure to remember that- it's up to you to keep his wish alive." I said, hoping they heard the compassion in my voice.

"Us?" Claire asked, as Quil pulled the necklace out of her hands and attached it gently around her neck. "But you-"

I shook my head. "No. Maybe before it was up to Jake and me. But now it's up to you." I said to the young couple, and turned to my parents. "And you."

I slipped quietly away from the stunned group. Seth yelled over the music and the chatter, causing me to pause near the door. "Where are you going?"

I smiled, a half smile that was truly happy. I turned my chin over my shoulder to wink at him, reaching up and slipping a thin black ribbon over my head. "Home." I said, clutching the circular ornament that sat just below the hollow of my throat.

And with that, I stepped out into the sun.

* * *

**so... i spent my day writing instead of packing, because i won't have internet in my new apartment for almost a week, and i wanted to get this all posted before i move on Thursday. everything is written, and i'll prbly post the epilogue tomorrow sometime. . . but review anyways please!! **


	20. Chapter 20

**i posted two chapters yesterday... those of you that have this story on alert may not have gotten both so... make sure you check out chapter 19 (_Something Old, Something New_)**

**

* * *

  
alright everyone, we've reached the end... finally! thanks to all of you who stuck with me through this and New Magic, i hope everyone liked it, and will check out my coming stories.**

**we'll be seeing Reid and Rainy in _Practical Magic_ again!**

**i still appreciate all the feedback, even though the story is over... **is sad****

**oh well! Review!**

_**~wwsadd**_

Epilogue: Old Loves

I took my time heading back east. First I stopped at the old Black place, glad to find the keys in the ignition. I didn't hesitate, just climbed on the big black Harley and hit the open road.

I had enough money with me to buy a small sports car, but I just stopped once for clothes on the edge of Oregon, stuffing the sundress and sandals unceremoniously in the small compartment on the back of the motorcycle. The faded jeans and boots were a must-have, if I wanted to get all the way to New England on the back of a bike.

I splurged for a pair of aviator sunglasses, and then hit the highway again, making a beeline across the U.S., heading for Massachusetts. I didn't hurry; I made pit stops as the need struck me, taking the opportunity to see Mount Rushmore, and Niagara Falls.

While I drove, I examined my life. I came to terms with the fact that things would never be the same again. I'd made the decisions; I was calling the shots in my own life now, and I could do it.

The familiar streets of Ipswich met me four days later, Friday, again, ironically. Fridays seemed to have a strange significance in my life. I wondered where everyone would be, and I took my chances with my instinct.

Cutting the engine outside the bar, I adjusted the leather jacket, and yanked on the hem of my simple blue tank. I left the helmet on the seat, pulled my hair back into a loose, messy ponytail and entered the dark bar.

The smoky warmth of the interior was a drastic change from the late-November bite outside. I followed my feet where they took me, to the occupied table in the back corner.

Only one of them was facing me, and it took him a minute to recognize me. To be fair, I barely recognized him too- funny how two weeks could change so much. He looked like he'd always been a normal teenager- but hell he had to be two hundred years old.

"Nahuel." I said, nodding in greeting. There was shock all over his face. I wondered fleetingly what he had told the rest of them about our final fight.

At the sound of my voice, I was suddenly met with seven additional pairs of startled eyes. Nahuel was apparently the only one capable of speech. "What about-" He started to ask.

I tried to make my smile seem untroubled. "It's… not up to me anymore. But everything is going to be okay." I said, referring to the age-old vampire-werewolf dispute that was finally over.

"But-" He tried again. I smirked, causing him to stop speaking.

"But nothing. We all did what we had to do. I mean, we saved the world. Accept it, and move on." I said, climbing into the closest available chair, between Sarah and Tyler.

Given a closer look, I could tell that they'd been through hell too. Ty looked like he was going to pass out from shock next to me. I grinned, elbowing him lightly. "Man, you look like you've seen a ghost." I joked. "Trust me, I'm too pretty to be dead." I added, hoping to get a reaction to my bad joke.

There was still a blank, stunned silence. "Am I missing something?" I finally asked.

"You came back." Tyler managed to finally spit out. I felt my eyebrows rise in confusion.

"I'm sorry…? I can leave-" I said hurriedly, trying not to let the hurt show on my face. I started to slide from the chair I'd just sat down in.

He grabbed my wrist, keeping me in my seat. "Why?" He asked. I gave him an incredulous glare. "Why would you want to be here, after everything that happened?" He clarified.

I felt my chin drop slightly. "Because." I said simply. "This is home. At least, I thought it was… Tyler—do you remember that night you were trying to convince me that everything was going to be okay? Do you remember what you said about being _real_?" I asked.

His eyes brightened. "Yes, it was true." He said simply. I smiled, relishing in the feeling I'd missed.

"It was truer than you know. The day I faced the shadow, those words saved my life." I said, leaning over to kiss his cheek swiftly. "We're a family, right?" I asked, letting my eyes sweep over the still-surprised group. No one looked angry, just astonished.

Caleb cleared his throat. "Finally caught on, have you?" He asked, a sparkle in his eyes. I smirked, giving half a shrug. "But from now on," he continued, "I'm in charge."

I laughed, and saluted. "Sir, yes sir." I mocked, jumping down from my chair and sauntering toward the dance floor.

It didn't take long for a pair of hands to land on my hips. I turned fluidly, snaking my arms up his chest and around his neck. His icy eyes still made my blood rush, my heartbeat sped, chasing away the ache that had settled there.

He bent his blond head until his lips were near my ear. "Are you alright?" He asked, his voice full of anxiety. I pulled myself closer to him, so every line of my body was pressed against his.

Swaying in time to the music, I answered him. "Only if you are."

"But Jake-"

"Wanted me to be happy." I cut him off. Then I smiled mischievously at him. "Up to the challenge?" I asked.

His arms wound around my waist tightly. "You bet your ass." He said, legendary smirk in place.

We danced the night away, Reid never loosened his grip on me, and I hoped he never would. Later, as we were all heading out of the bar, I asked a question that had been making me curious all night.

"So… Nahuel, what are you going to do now?" I asked, leaning back into Reid's embrace as we all loitered by the Hummer.

My old friend smirked. "Well, it looks like I'm stuck in this boring little town—Thanks a lot Renesmee." He teased. I rolled my eyes.

"That's it, you don't get to hang out with him anymore." I said, gesturing to my boyfriend, who laughed.

"Hey! So what exactly happened?" Kate asked, flipping her dark hair behind her ear and glancing around. Nicky had kicked everyone out and we were the only ones still hanging out in the parking lot.

Nahuel looked slightly apologetic. "I didn't want to tell them anything before checking with you." He explained. "I just gave them the general idea."

I fidgeted with the sun on my makeshift necklace. "Hmmm… Well after I left Tyler in the supply closet…" I started, and laughed at the noise Reid made. "I don't know, I went to the pool—talked to the shadow, yada yada yada. Then this one shows up-" I said pointing to Nahuel.

My voice was more serious now. "I asked what else it was waiting for, it said leverage… and I don't really remember much after that—except that it came down to freeing Jake or fighting the shadow, and then, somehow, Nahuel stole your power from me. _He_ freed Jake while I did what Guardians do." I said simply, leaving out the gory details.

"So… if Nahuel has the Power of the Covenant… what power do you have now?" Sarah asked curiously.

I shrugged. "I'd show you but--" Nahuel cut me off, his eyes turned black, as the Hummer began to hover a few feet off the ground. I giggled, reaching out easily and suppressing the Power I felt in the air.

His eyes returned to deep brown, the large SUV hit the ground with a bang. The Sons all looked slightly apprehensive. "Oh yeah," I answered their unspoken question. "You thought I could kick your asses before… you ain't seen nothing yet."

With a wink, I dragged Reid back to the Harley I'd arrived on. He gave me an exasperated look. I smiled innocently. I heard Pogue whistle from the front seat of his Ducati. "Nice." He said.

I giggled, climbing on the sleek machine. Sarah called to me from the front seat of Caleb's Mustang. "I'm staying at Caleb's!"

"Thank you!" I called back, as Reid sat down behind me and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.

And we were off.

* * *

** good? bad? ugly? let me know!!  
previews of **_**Practical Magic:**_

__

"you're gonna need to take your pants off."

"Ooooh. Karaoke! Who's gonna duet with me?"  
_"Do _what_??"_

___"I'm all for grand theft auto."_


End file.
